LANDBOU
Other than being sensitive to inclement weather , surely farming with these gentle giants can ’ t pose any other challenges ? Not so .
Market and price , the two adversaries faced by all farmers .
“ I always say that Brahmans are like salt on a steak in your commercial herds . If you don ’ t have any salt on the steak , it doesn ’ t taste nice . The right amount and it tastes great . I mean to say that there is always room for a Brahman in commercial herds .”
Ting runs 400 stud cows of which one-third is red and the rest grey .
Another big challenge is that many farmers want to start Brahman studs and therefore the market becomes flooded .
“ The other thing is educating our emerging or new-generation farmers to buy quality bulls and not just anything equipped with a set of testes . These are things we are trying to sort out at the moment ,” he says with a rueful smile .
As a member of the KZN Brahman Club and a Breed Judge , Ting offers judging courses for these new-generation farmers – from young learners to adults .
The 10 unsold bulls mentioned earlier , will mostly be sold to these new-generation farmers , as many of them prefer to buy direct from the farmer .
22 MARKtoe ! Augustus 2023