Nufarmer November / December 2017 NUF NOV.DEC 17 | Page 5

Nufarmer Africa animals which were almost ready to sell. Within three years he managed to pay off the loan and increased his stock to thirty animals. “In farming it is not wise to earn an income from one product only. It is good to diverse in order to survive in low times. With breeding you only receive an income on production sales. Every month there are expenses to be paid. He therefore also keeps goats and makes bales of hay. In 2014 things changed for the better when Sanele met an ARC offi cer, Mr Zamini. Because of stock theft, Sanele’s father sold his farm in the Freestate. They moved their stock to Dundee and lost 22 head because of Red water – an expensive learning process. Although they injected as much as they could, they did not realize the strain of Red water disease diff ers from the Freestate to KZN. Although his father tried everything, he eventually listened to Sanele to obtain advice from a vet. Up till that time they had an Angus herd which is suitable for the Freestate but did not realize it is not suitable for Dundee with its warmer climate. They then started to change the animals for Brahman cattle over the course of three years. These gave excellent calves. Sanele had Brahman cattle while his father had Brangus (they used a Brahman bull on Angus cows) and it was clear that Sanele’s stock grew faster than his father’s. His father consented to the fact that they need to agree on what type of cattle is best for the Dundee farm. Their predominant stock now consists of white Brahman cattle and through his persistence and diligent herd management, Sanele Mbhele received the ‘ARC Farmer of the Year’ award. “The ARC-API plays a major role in my life with their correct advice, always ready to assist when I have a query and just being there for me,” Sanele concluded. RMRD SA SCHEME for scientists The Red Meat Research and Development (RMRD) hosted their SA Awards Scheme for Scientists on 24 October 2017 at the ARC-AP Irene Campus, Meat Science. There are three categories of evaluation for the RMRD SA research awards scheme. T he Young research award is made to a young researcher up to age 35 who has performed research work funded by RMRD SA. The research work performed must be of high quality and make an exceptional contribution to the fi eld. Ms MC Mokolobate from ARC-AP received this award. The best research project of the year award went to Ms H Vermeulen. This award is made to an established researcher/research team who has performed research work funded by RMRD SA. The research must be of high quality and the researcher’s work must make an exceptional contribution. The outstanding contribution to research award went to Prof Michiel Scholtz from ARC-AP. This award is made to a researcher who has made an outstanding contribution to research during a specifi c time period. The fourth award went to a veteran/retired researcher, Dr Gareth Bath who has made an outstanding contribution to the industry over a long period of time. All the research projects funded from Cattle and Small Stock Trust- and Levy Funds and Pork Trust- and Levy funds are eligible for nomination. Only projects for which fi nal reports and popular articles were submitted are considered in categories A and B. All research projects completed in 2014 and 2015 were considered in categories A and B for the awards. With the exception of a veteran researcher it should be taken into consideration that a time lag exits between research outputs and industry recognition. Prof GF Bathe received this award. The procedures for nominations and the election of the winners were as follows: The subject working groups were requested to nominate candidates for discussion at the February and September 2016 Planning Committee meetings. It was not compulsory that each subject working group nominate a candidate. The short list was then sent to the executive committees of the Planning Committees for recommendation. The Executive of the Project committee made the fi nal decision. RMRD SA AWARDS winners; Ms H Vermeulen, Prof GF Bath, Ms MC Mokolobate and Prof Michiel Scholtz. THE FESTIVE SEASON IS FAMILY TIME! Monsanto wishes you and your loved ones a festive season filled with love, laughter and togetherness. May each day bring you joy and may the new year bring new opportunities and enthusiasm to make the most of each day. Times may change but our passion for agriculture never will. Christmas ... a time to count our blessings. Clients are welcome to contact our client services on 011 790-8200 or [email protected] Monsanto Technology LLC. Monsanto South Africa (Pty) Ltd, PO Box 69933, Bryanston, 2021. Nufarmer Africa | November/December 2017 5