11 Sep 2023

LUSSIM Stud breeders at Molopo farms in Kgalagadi District on Saturday hosted a number of farmers at their home in Notwane to equip them with information on breeding top quality stud animals as well as how to select quality breeding bulls and heifers.

The workshop was conducted by the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Simmental Breeders’s Society of Southern Africa, Mr Jamie Berger, and the society’s technical advisor, Mr Fred Dell.

Mr Dell is an  experienced and trained judge in the Simmental and Simbra world and has served in the inter-breed judges panel which qualifies one to judge any breed.

The event brought together farmers from different parts of the country who had bought cattle from LUSSIM. One lucky client walked away with a top quality registered Simmental bull worth over P70 000 from the Lombard family.

The CEO of LUSSIM Stud Breeders, Mr Phillip Lombard, said when they left South Africa for Botswana their intention was to promote the Simmental breed in Botswana. He said the training workshop for their clients was a way of giving back as well as to share what they had learned from the Simmental  Breeders Society and what they had learned over the years.

Mr Lombard said they intended to hold the training workshop annually to promote the Simmental breed.

Mr Lombard said they had managed to import more than 500 bulls into the country which they had bred and sold locally for 13 years. He said he was happy that they managed to improve the quality of cattle of local farmers who had bought from them.

He explained that a Simmental cow was a dual purpose breed with its weight and milk production. He also said it was loved for its docile and adaptability to new environments. He also said the breed was perfect for cross breeding with other breeds.

Mr Phillip emphasised the importance of acquiring a registered bull for breeding purposes.

Mr Dell told farmers that breeding animals should have estimated breeding values and that they were an estimation on how an animal would breed. He said 70 per cent of what farmers saw in an animal was influenced by the environment and what it was fed while 30 per cent was influenced by genetics. He also advised them to obtain the registration certificate when buying bulls, saying otherwise they would be simply buying a “bush bull” in the absence of its genetic history.

He said farmers should always look for new bloodlines to avoid inbreeding and to improve the quality of their herd.

Mr Dell said a Simmental was a true dual purpose breed adopted from Switzerland and Germany and suitable for dry hot arid countries such as Botswana.

Mr Dell praised local stud breeders for keeping good quality animals. He advised them to have passion for what they were doing, adding that it would help them to overcome all challenges.

He also encouraged farmers to do what they loved the most in order to realise the fruits of their labour.

Mr Berger said he was impressed by the positivity of local farmers. However, he said, a lot of learning and education needed to be done around cattle breeding and farming. He said it was just a matter of time before local farmers were in the same level as their South African and Namibian counterparts.

Mr Shaw Kgathi, a local breeder, said he has been associated with LUSSIM Stud Breeders for over 15 years when he bought his first stud cattle from them. 

He also noted that so far about 12 local farmers had registered to be part of Simmental stud breeding. He said improving the quality of cattle in the country was what the President, Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi, was advocating for. 

Mr Godfrey Radijeng was the winner of the Simmental bull from the Lombard family. 

He said he bought his first bull from the Lombards in 2018 and that he was intending to buy two more bulls before his lucky draw. ENDS