Day 6: Last Day of Farm Visits

 


Nguni Bull


Facilities for the Nguni Herd


Storing insects in drawers at the ARC laboratory


Group photo at the horse stud


One of the beautiful horses shown at the stud

            We began day six with a visit to the South African National Collection of Insects - Entomology Research Group. They have been collecting insects for over 100 years and have over 3 million specimens on file. Each room is cooled to 18 degrees Celsius (64 degrees Fahrenheit) to prevent museum bugs from eating the dried insects. Most of the collections were dry, minus the soft-bodied (termites/ants) who have wet collections in alcohol (96% alc). There are 31 orders of insects that are in the world and 27 are found in South Africa. We also learned that insects become bigger the closer they get to the equator!

            For lunch, we traveled to Rooigra SA Boerperd Stud, a horse breeding facility that had over 150 mares with three fully matured studs. A super fun fact was that along with their feed, minerals and supplements, they also incorporate breadcrumbs from a factory to their diets. They use a series of noises, including whistles, clicks and bottles with rocks to stimulate the horse to trot, run and canter. We saw many mares, geldings and stallions trotting and got to visit the foals and mares.

  • The average price of their horses is 75,000 rand ($4,129 USD)
  • This breed has been selected for years to ensure quality
  • Breeders of this horse select for temperament
  • Due to African sicknesses, it is difficult for them to import and export horses to other countries
  • They don’t have an issue with theft due to their location and market

            We wrapped up the day visiting a farmer who works with the Gautang Department of Agriculture and who raises Nguni cattle. Her family passed away during Covid, and she left university to manage her parents' herd, which was supported by a program sponsored by the Department of Agriculture. To be considered for this program, one must have 500 hectares (1,235 acres), focus on conserving natural resources and increase the head count. The program loans 30 pregnant females and one bull. The program purchases the stock from stud breeders. Every other year in June, there is a ritual that she supplies the cattle for and other niche markets. She sells them at 250 kg at 8 – 12 months of age. Along with their grazed pastures was a unique stone-made feedlot we’d never seen before.

            We are very happy to have seen such a variety of operations and visit with many producers in South Africa this week. We can’t wait to wrap up our travels at Pilanesberg National Park tomorrow!


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