OKANDJIRA – In 2017, young farmer Tjivii Tjombe was faced with two options – to quit his job and vigorously pursue his love for farming, or sit back and watch his dream and passion for farming die a natural death.
It was not an easy decision, as he was faced with the frightening reality of not having a monthly salary and all the benefits that come with being in fulltime employment.
But for Tjombe, there was no looking back, as his mind was firmly set on following his childhood dream of becoming a full-time farmer.
He did not want to be a farmer of all sorts, but a renowned stud breeder of the Van Rooy sheep.
In early 2018, he quit his job in Windhoek.
He headed to his home village of Okandjira in the Ovitoto settlement to pursue farming on a full-time basis.
As he had initially planned out, his gamble to pursue farming full-time handsomely paid off.
Tjombe is today one of the leading and recognisable Van Rooy sheep stud breeders in the Ovitoto area and country at large.
AgriToday recently paid the young farmer a visit at Plot 84 at Okandjira, where he now farms with his beloved Van Rooy sheep.
With a gleaming smile and oozing confidence, he said he had found his pot of gold in the Van Rooy breed.
“It is a decision [quitting job] that I don’t regret at all, because otherwise I would not have found my true passion and love – which is farming. But, it was not as easy as it looks and sounds. I first had to do my research and thorough soul-searching before quitting my job. When I started, I bought a Van Rooy that was mixed with the dorper sheep from Rehoboth. I did not have much knowledge, so I thought it was a Van Rooy sheep…,” he recalled.
“But other farmers came to my rescue to teach me the characteristics of a full-blooded Van Rooy breed. As time went on, I acquired a full-blooded Van Rooy ram.
That marked the beginning of my journey as a stud farmer,” shared the 40-year-old.
It was a rocky journey in the beginning, as he struggled with reliable water supply and a limited grazing area.
Howe ve r, through perseverance and innovation, Tjombe managed to grow his flock and position himself as one of the best stud breeders in Ovitoto.
“You see, with stud animals like these, you must have an uninterrupted water supply, adequate natural grazing space and a strict breeding plan that will not allow your animals to mix with those of other farmers. Remember that in the business of stud breeding, there is no room for half-blooded or mixed animals. So, it important that your ram mates with your sheep to get the product that you want, or which is appealing to the market,” he stated.
Known as the Tjivii Tjombe Van Rooy Stud stable, his enterprise now employs one full-time employee, who watches over his close to 40 stud Van Rooy sheep.
He mentors other young farmers who are looking to venture into full-time or part-time farming.
Besides the sheep, he has a small garden, and ventures into cattle farming, which he said serve as additional revenue streams.
“Once the garden peaks, it will feed us here and supply the community with nutritious vegetables. The long-term plan is to sell to schools in the area and share the surplus with needy members of my community. For now, we have planted beans, maize, pumpkins and sorghum. We are hopeful of a good harvest,” the farmer said.
The perfect breed
Based on his personal experience, Tjombe is convinced that the Van Rooy breed is the best sheep for any upcoming farmer, as it is durable, meaty and an all-season sheep.
One of the Van Rooy’s recognisable characteristics is its tail, which is fat-rumped.
It has a dewlap from the jaw to the brisket, and a very prominent chest and brisket.
The upper part of the body must have a woolly mixture of hair.
On the head, legs and lower parts of the body, the hair should be short and devoid of wool.
The tail consists of two parts: the main upper part and the switch.
The main portion should be broad and firm and affixed as high as possible.
It is oval in section towards the rear, with a slight upward tilt at the end from which the switch hangs down vertically.
The size of the tail should be in proportion with the rest of the sheep.
The products
When it comes to meat, a sheep should have as little fat localisation on the carcass as possible, except on the rump and in the tail. The skin, meanwhile, makes good glove leather.
Van Rooy rams are widely used to produce crossbred lambs, which put fat on the carcass at a much earlier stage than when crossbreeding two non-fat-tailed breeds. – ohembapu@nepc.com.na