Dr Pieter Grimbeek, Mooivet

Die omgewing en higiëne speel ’n betekenisvolle rol in varkproduksie. Dit word al hoe meer ’n faktor namate genotipes meer sensitief vir hulle omgewing word. Aangesien winsmarges onder druk is en nog vir ’n geruime tyd onder druk gaan wees, is ’n fokus op besonderhede soos higiëne noodsaaklik.

Produsente moet streef om doeltreffendheid te verbeter, uitsette per kilogram vleis geproduseer te vermeerder en insette soos voerkoste, lone en elektrisiteit te beperk. Continue Reading →

Dr Pieter Grimbeek, MooiVet

Die storm wat ons varkbedryf die afgelope tyd bekruip het, is nog in volle dramatiese swang. Dit is asof alles meteens bymekaargekom het:

•  ‘n Knap binnelandse mielievoorraad.
•  Die droogte wat die VSA, asook lande soos Argentinië getref het, wat nie net mielies nie, maar ook sojapryse die hoogte in laat skiet het.
•  Onbeheersde uitbreiding in die plaaslike pluimveebedryf.
•  Die bo-normale beskikbaarheid van vleis weens die ongekende verbete-ring in varkvleisprodusente se repro-en produksieparameters, sowel as die bemarking van swaarder karkasse.
•  Roekelose vleisinvoere, asook die dreigende storting van bees-vleiskarkasse vanaf Botswana.
•  Sprake dat die Europese Unie kan ontbind weens die bankrotskap van verskeie lede.
•  Amerika wat meer as sestien triljoen dollar skuld, by verre die hoogste skuld van enige land in wêreldgeskiedenis.
•  ‘n Dalende groeikoers in Sjina, wat vir die afgelope vyf jaar ongekende opwaarste groei getoon het.
•  Plaaslike verbruikers wat sukkel met ongewone elektrisiteit-, brandstof- en loopfoonuitgawes, derhalwe het hulle min oor om op kos te spandeer.
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By Dr Mary-Louise Penrith, 
a veterinary consultant

The Republic of Mauritius consists of two islands, one small (Mauritius) and one very small (Rodrigues). The human population is diverse, mainly of Indian origin, with most of the pigs farmed by people of African descent (Creole), as well as a few people whose ancestors came from France or China.  The pig industry is small and so are the farms – 200 pigs is a big herd. The main demand for pork in Mauritius comes from the hotels and restaurants serving the tourist industry that forms the backbone of the economy. Unfortunately for Mauritian pig farmers most of the pork is imported – much of it from South Africa.
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By Dr Annie Labuscagne and 
Annette Coetzee, Charles Street Veterinary Consultancy

Animal management software should assist producers with record keeping, but is this the only requirement? Running a management software package has many advantages. They range from printing worklists and sow cards to doing micro-analysis on herd performance.   Especially in pork production there are different requirements to evaluate and consider when deciding on a software package. The first thing everybody always wants to know is what the program will cost. There are price differences between programs, but there is a reason for this. Price should therefore not be the only factor determining which program to buy. Continue Reading →

By Dr Thomas Volker, Penvaan Group

As with any commodity, it is important to be able to calculate the cost of pork production for many reasons.

A pork producer should know exactly what his costs are, firstly, to be able to assess whether he is selling his pigs at a profit, and secondly whether he can do anything to reduce the cost or improve his operation’s efficiencies in order to increase his profit margin. Continue Reading →

By the LWO Agricultural Employers’ Organisation

Dealing correctly with HIV/Aids in the work place remains a headache for many farmers. Some prefer to ignore this growing problem.

“It is imperative for employers to formulate an internal HIV/Aids policy for dealing with a situation that could develop into a crisis for every employer. It is necessary to be informed of the legal directives on how to deal with the situation and to be prepared to handle it correctly,” says Danie de Villiers, general manager of the LWO Agricultural Employers’ Organisation. Continue Reading →