In 2016, Kausehue Marenga bought six stud ewes from renowned farmer Pieter Coetzee.
The plan was to breed with these ewes and become a name worth reckoning in the Van Rooy stud breeding circles.
He then added a full-bred Van Rooy stud ram from another breeder in the Grootfontein area, thereby completing his flock.
Due to his hard work in preserving the standards of the flock he has just acquired, Marenga managed to successfully register as a stud breeder.
This was just the beginning of a journey that saw him excel in the breeding of the Van Rooy from his smallholding on communal land in the Eiseb area of the Omaheke region.
Six years later, Marenga, through his trademark Kauu Van Rooy Stud, has managed to place himself firmly as one of the most prolific breeders of the Van Rooy sheep, and he is living his dream.
He has over the years managed to grow his flock, perfecting every ewe and ram in the herd along the way.
Soon, the world took notice, and his products became sought-after by farmers, hoping to improve their herds.
Marenga mainly breeds rams, although he would also sell some of his ewes at production auctions.
“I was raised into farming. Since I came of age, all I knew was farming, as my father made sure my siblings and I understand and appreciate the value of farming from a tender age,” he said.
Marenga told AgriToday that although his family mainly specialised in cattle farming, it was the small stock that drew his attention, and it was, therefore, not surprising that he opted to go in this direction.
But the going has not been all plain sailing, as Marenga recalls how he had to overcome various challenges of farming the communal area as a stud breeder.
These challenges, he said, included a shortage of water for the livestock, limited grazing and predators, amongst others.
As the Eiseb area is vast and largely uninhabited, predators, such as leopards, hyenas and wild dogs roam freely, resulting in huge losses for small stock farmers like Marenga.
“We are forced to live with all these challenges. It is especially difficult for small stock farmers, as our livestock are more prone to be preyed upon by all types of predators – even the caracal is a threat to small stock. It is not easy, but we march on,” he said.
If the livestock survives that, the farmer has another headache to deal with: poisonous plants.
Amongst the most widely spread poisonous plants in the Eiseb area is the gifblaar, which results in high livestock fatalities annually.
“There are ways that we have adopted as farmers to deal with the scourge of poisonous plants. We have our own tried and tested ways. But even with these ways, there are no guarantees,” he said.
Marenga, realising the strength in numbers, consistently combines with other emerging stud breeders to market his products.
These include Tjipee Hiangoro, Gaddafi Marenga and Unotjari Kavari, amongst others.
Hiangoro, who was featured in a previous edition of AgriToday, is a breeder of the Boergoat, while Gaddafi Marenga is renowned for breeding with the Damara sheep. Kavari breeds with the Meatmaster.
Marenga, in a bid to improve his knowledge on his prime product – the Van Rooy sheep – enrolled and passed the junior judge for small stock, including goats.
He is also a prolific judge of cattle and has, over the years, assisted farmers to select the best breeding cattle for their herds.
“Farmers often come to me to help them select the best cows to buy or best breeding bulls for the herds. As a person who has been a cattle farmer through my father’s herd for years, I would assist them by revealing the different traits and characteristics they should consider of each animal before buying it,” he said.
Marenga is currently organising his second production auction to be staged at the Namboer auction pens in Windhoek later this year.
His first auction was in December 2021.
For this event, he will also be joined by his farming mates in the different breed types.
“You can never do it all alone. We need each other in this game,” he noted.
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