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2024 ARC Awards, Limousin winners
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By: FRANS JORDAAN, Dr Ben Greyling & Zelda King, ARC-Animal
Production
The National Beef Cattle Improvement Scheme of the ARC has
played a central role in the genetic improvement of the
national herd in South Africa for decades. The main aim of
the scheme is to improve the profitability and
sustainability of beef cattle production and thereby
contribute to national and domestic food security and job
creation. The Scheme has therefore played a central role for
many years not only in our beef industry but also in
contributing to the socioeconomic well-being of our
country’s people.
The efficient production of red meat is currently more
important than ever before, amid challenges such as higher
input costs, global warming with associated droughts, and an
increasing world population. These external factors put
enormous pressure on food security and, of course,
ultimately on the farmer in particular, who is primarily
responsible for food production. The primary purpose of the
awards event is to recognise breeders for their efforts and
contributions in pursuing and promoting efficiency and
genetic improvement through performance testing.
ARC National Performers Awards
The ARC’s national awards are a highlight of South Africa’s
agricultural calendar, and with the continued support of our
loyal
sponsors has once again made the event successful and
possible. And for that, we
are very grateful! Sponsors include
Farmer’s Weekly, Molatek, Plaas Media/
Stockfarm, and GMP-Leader Products SA.
Several categories form part of the awards
and include, among others, commercial
producers and the emerging market. Santa
breeders performed exceptionally well and
produced participants and winners similar
to 2023 in no less than five categories!
Santa breeders received awards in the ARC
National Best Elite Cow, ARC National
Platinum Bull, ARC National Special
Performance Test Class, ARC National
Mentor of the year, and ARC National Herd
of the year awards, which in itself is an
exceptional achievement.
ARC National Special Performance Test Class sponsored by
Plaas Media/Stockfarm
The Limousin
bull, LULU 22 0002, owned by Louis de Jager from
Bloemfontein, was tested at the ARC Glen test centre in the
Free State. The bull performed excellently on average daily
gain, with an index of 124, and feed conversion ratio, with
an index of 117. The test period, which includes a 28-day
adaptation period, is 112 days in total. The test simulates
a feedlot situation, but the individual feed intake of each
bull in the test is optional.
ARC National Best Elite Cow sponsored by
Farmer’s Weekly
The Limousin
cow, LR 06 0029, owned by AJ du Toit, was crowned the winner
among the Limousins. The cow has excellent reproduction
figures – she is 18 years old with 15 calves, and her age at
first calving is 26 months. She has an inter-calving period
of 385 days. The cow also has outstanding breeding values
that exceed the breed average for growth and milk
production.
Congratulations
to the breeders who really put effort into complete
performance testing. Complete performance testing
facilitates more accurate selection for traits of economic
importance within the herd, and, even more importantly, it
contributes to the genetic improvement of the breed as a
whole. Furthermore, it improves the accuracy of performance
figures on auction catalogues, allowing buyers to make more
informed selection decisions when purchasing superior
genetics. The ARC National awards can be viewed on the Plaas
TV/Farm TV YouTube channel:
www.youtu.be/oHamQitUgMc
Congratulations
to all the winners! You set a high standard for genetic
improvement of the breed! |
