Staff Reporter
Windhoek-For the next five years, the Namibian National Van Rooy Breeders Association has vowed to put the Van Rooy breed back on the map.
For this purpose Dean van Dyk of NutriFeeds, the forerunner of the first Van Rooy National Championships, pledged sponsorship for the last week of September and the first week of October 2018 in Windhoek when more than 300 of the best Van Rooy purebreds will be paraded at the National Van Rooy Day inaugurated recently.
Since only five of the more than 50 local breeders have more than 200 animals, it was also decided to have regular information days and inspectors’ courses to boost Van Rooy numbers. Scientific studies have shown that Van Rooy is very light on the fields and that 1 600 of them can be kept on the same field where 1 000 Dorpers would struggle to survive.’
As part of the revolution to bring back Van Rooy in big numbers, a full-colour handbook for breeders about the Van Rooy was also launched after last week’s hugely successful information and training day at the Namboer pens. Farmers from the Omaheke showed great interest in becoming Van Rooy owners.
Speaking to Titus Tjimbende from Otjinene, Blahr Tjikuzu from Epukiro, Stanley Tjozongoro from Tallismanub and Vaja Ngaujake from Aminuis, it became clear that all of them would love to bring more Van Rooys onto their farms.
They primarily farm with Boer Goat and Damara but have been impressed with the resilience of the Van Rooy.
The dwindling numbers of purebred Van Rooy was high on the discussion list during last week’s first ever Namibian National Van Rooy Day, attended by some forty breeders from mostly communal areas and emerging farmers.
Note was taken of the vast impact the breed has left on the Namibian small stock landscape delivering magnificent sheep as tough thoroughbred in the first decade and now increasingly as a cross-bred with Dorper.
President and chairperson of the new Van Rooy Breeders Association’s management, Piet Coetzee and Karbe Persendt respectively, did not mince their words emphasising the sharp decline in the numbers of the purebred.
The more than 50 active commercial, communal and emerging Van Rooy breeders of Namibia all expressed concern about the way things are going pledging to bring back the Van Rooy with a bang. Ten years ago Namibian breeders rocked the Van Rooy world stage by winning the international championship in SA