Day 2: Agricultural Research Council-Animal Production Unit and Voortrekker Monument

 


Group photo in front of Afrikaner Cattle herd at the Agricultural Research Council.


Listening to lectures from ARC scientists and students (and reciprocal lectures from SDSU scientists and students).


Measuring hip height on a Braunvieh bull.


Listening to our tour guide talk about the Voortrekkers story.


            We started our day at 8:00 a.m. at the Agricultural Research Center (ARC) in a conference room. We shared some projects SDSU students are working on and learned about what research is going on there! We listened to presentations about pit bull dog aggressiveness in South Africa, genetic diversity in smallholder cattle systems, and penile defects in bulls. Us students also got a tour of some of the laboratories where they run 200-500 cattle DNA samples a week, testing for parentage verification.

            Around noon, we visited the ARC's bull testing station, where producers can bring bulls to be kept there for 100 days while staff measure average daily gain, scrotal circumference, skin thickness, and height and length of the bull. These measurements are then indexed and if the individual bull is above average, the breeders are encouraged to use them. We also got to see some of the machines used in research at the center, one of them being a GreenFeed methane tracker manufactured in Rapid City, SD! 

            During our day at the ARC, we saw many native African cattle breeds like the Nguni, Bonsmara, and Afrikaner, as well as one red Limousin bull! The Afrikaner is a very hardy breed of cattle grown by many farmers in South Africa because of their easy pregnancies and births, and heat and tick resistance. The manager at the ARC kept all the cows, heifers, calves, and bulls together 24/7. He told us that the heifers will usually take the bull between 18 months to 2 years and is not worried if they breed sooner. He hopes to have them all calve by the age of 3. We also saw some native swine breeds and commercial crosses. We were surprised to see tails and testicles on growing pigs because those are not common practices in the US! 

            Our last stop of the day was the Voortrekker Monument in Pretoria. We learned from a knowledgeable guide about the "Great Trek," a journey by Dutch/German/Portuguese settlers, moving away from the restrictions implemented by the King of England. Our guide highlighted Boer/Native relations and wars, which was very informative and important to learn. The most important lesson we took away from this experience is what Afrikaner means. It is not a term that refers to every white person in South Africa, it refers to the people descended from those who made the Great Trek. The goal of the Afrikaners was never to colonize, but rather to trade for land and live peacefully among the Nguni tribes. 

            Today was an informative and interactive day where we learned a lot about agriculture and history. We are looking forward to what the rest of the trip has in store for us!

Lillie Haman & Brooklyn Goelz

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