WINDHOEK – Dr Joggie Briendenhann, who has been a part-time farmer for the past 16 years, was named February’s Top Producer at Meatco.
Dr Briendenhann, who is also a qualified and practicing orthodontist, says he has been a Meatco producer for ten years and is very proud to have been selected as the Top Producer, since it proves that his farming practices to produce good quality oxen are paying off and working well. According to him he only uses performance-tested bulls.
He places much emphasis on good average daily gain, an efficient feed conversion rate, and Best Linear Unbiased Prediction (BLUP) breeding values. He uses these practices because he wants animals that grow optimally with little input, and since he wants to breed with them. “There are two options if you produce oxen for the slaughter market.
Either you feed them from your pocket until they are ready or you breed good genetics into your herd and feed much less,” is his advice to his fellow farmers. Dr Briendenhann favours the second option. His farm, Hartebeestloop Bonsmaras, is located 23km south east of Stampriet. His total points amounted to 90.48%.