Red Meat Industry Services (RMIS) COO Dr Phillip Oosthuizen unveils a meticulous approach to optimise resources in red meat production, addressing the growing nutritional demands of our expanding global population. Through strategic synchronisation and precise exploitation of natural potential, his innovative methods promise efficient management and enhanced profitability in the sheep industry.
The global population is expanding and is anticipated to increase by an additional 2.2 billion by the year 2050. Notably, half of this growth is projected to occur in Africa. Consequently, there is a pressing need to increase food production by approximately 35% to adequately address the escalating nutritional demands of the expanding global population.
As producers, we bear the responsibility of ensuring a supply of high-quality meat to avert severe nutrient deficiencies, particularly in Africa, where an ongoing burden of disease poses significant concern.
A paramount objective of the Red Meat Industry Services (RMIS) is to foster a transformation within the emerging sector, facilitating the integration of 250,000 weaner calves from emerging farmers into the commercial value chain. This vision aligns with our commitment to addressing nutritional needs and fostering sustainable development in regions facing complex health challenges.
With reference to resource constraints, it is imperative that we enhance our productivity while managing valuable and limited resources. This necessitates the optimal utilisation of assets such as land, pastures, fodder, livestock, capital, labour and time.
The two-step definition of precision agriculture for optimising resource use is as follows: First, identify the optimal natural potential of the resource. Then, adjust and align products and services with the resource’s inherent capabilities for optimal exploitation.
An example of this is cattle feedlot operations. In this context, it is essential to identify the natural potential of the animals. This encompasses factors such as feed intake, growth, feed conversion ratio, yield percentage, fat deposition, and carcass classification.
Once the unique genetic potential of the breed or individual animal is determined, the management programme can be finely tuned to maximise profits and minimise risks. The weekly marginal revenue, derived from factors like feed and carcass prices, can be precisely calculated within the production framework, enabling a more effective and profitable operation.
An animal attains an optimal stage when profits are maximised, influenced by its marginally decreasing growth and the incremental impact of its feed intake. Therefore, the distinctive potential of an animal is identified and subsequently leveraged to optimise production and profit per resource.
In the context of the sheep industry, it is crucial to discern a ewe’s optimal reproductive capacity. By implementing an eight-month lambing system as opposed to the conventional twelve-month cycle, various factors such as feed, health, reproductive systems, cash flow, and marketing are adjusted to optimally exploit her natural potential.
This approach ensures a more effective and profitable utilisation of resources in line with the unique characteristics of the ewe.
In sheep production, optimising resources and enhancing value involves five distinct phases. In the first phase, the focus is on elevating lambing and weaning percentages through intensification. This begins with the strategic grouping and synchronisation of the herd.
The administration of the pregnant mare serum (DMS) during synchronisation stimulates ovulation, increasing lamb percentages. Synchronisation also enables the use of lamb pens, contributing to a reduction in the mortality caused by cold, predation, and maternal deficiencies, ultimately enhancing the weaning rate.
Moving to the second phase, there is an acceleration of the reproduction cycle, specifically during the inter-lamb period, from twelve to eight months. This adjustment results in 1.5 cycles per year.
The third phase involves dividing the herd into eight groups, each synchronised a month apart. This strategic synchronisation ensures a continuous monthly supply of lamb to the market, providing a pricing advantage of approximately R2.54 per kilogram due to the monthly average price earned.
In the fourth phase, lambs are finished in the feedlot, increasing their value.
The final phase entails dividing the herd into eight groups, rounding off lambs in the feedlot, and subsequent slaughter. This process results in a significant price advantage of approximately R4.42 per kilogram carcass, attributed to the meticulous monthly cycling strategy.
These five phases collectively contribute to the efficient management and profitable outcomes in sheep production.
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