Travelling scholars field report
Posted by: Brendan Kersh	Date: 24 September 2003

Sustainable Production in Arid Rangelands

South Africa has been great to me as have the people that live here. My first week here was spent in Durban where I attended the International Rangelands Congress which was hosted by the South African Grasslands Society. This is a conference held every four years in a different country each time. It brings together scientists, researchers and extension officers, and land managers, from all over the world to look at all issues regarding rangeland management.

Rangeland is basically any land that is not cropped or tilled, and is generally used for grazing (by domestic and wildlife animals) and accounts for somewhere near 80% of the earths land surface. So for the apparent insignificance of Rangeland management on the world stage, it is really a serious business, and one deserving better attention.

The feeling I am getting is that in South Africa there is a really strong fraternity of farmers and graziers that take more than an active interest in the science of their pastures. This may not be typical of all land managers in the country, but was certainly a characteristic of the great bunch of individuals I have been lucky enough to meet. It is interesting to note that all of these individuals have attended tertiary education, and incidentally all spent time after tertiary education travelling and working abroad.

Before leaving home I was lucky enough to have been put in contact with Willy and Gill Pringle from "Fairholt" near Bedford and Jock and Sandy Dankwerts, "Saxfold", Adelaide. They live in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa.

After spending the first six weeks or so in some of the lushest and most productive parts of the world it was almost like coming home to be driving (more a matter of rattlng)up this rocky track that snaked its way into a narrow valley in the Winterberge Mountains, where "Fairholte" is situated. Willie has lived there all his life, and has a passion for every square inch of the 13000 ha they own and manage there.

Willy and Gill Pringle run a sheep, goat and cattle enterprise here in valleys and mountaintops, where their average rainfall varies from 17 to approx 30 inches. This depends where on the mountain you are situated.

While the rainfall and topography on this property is dissimilar to home, the basic principles for managing it can be applied anywhere. Possibly the underlying principle that Willie applies to his land management is knowing exactly what is going on in each square inch of his property, positive or negative, then prescribing the right treatment to enhance or inhibit whatever is happening.

This he does by way of resting, grazing, and even burning. He has his country divided into some 200 odd paddocks, and uses a carefully planned rotational grazing system. This system uses the application of sheep, cattle or goats to achieve optimum utilisation of pasture while maximising plant biodiversity and animal performance. A considerable juggling act for which farmers are never given due credit!

Jock and Sandy Danckwerts are orange farmers from Adelaide. Jock spent many years researching pasture management. Much of his work focused on the comparison of various grazing methods with a specific trial consisting of over 9 years of identical field trials in three different locations aimed at comparing pasture, animal and economic performance of six different grazing systems.

The different systems included continuous grazing (set stocking), rotational resting and rotational grazing, all at different stocking rates. It really defied gravity in my opinion, to see the continuous grazing at set stocking rate, outperforming the others in economic terms, hands down, over the short and long term.

This indeed highlights to me the absolute need to not lose sight of the animal performance factor, as we strive for improved pasture production and performance. While the trials were conducted at the highest standard, and with the best intentions, I still find it hard to accept that rotational grazing and resting type systems, incorporating strategic animal impact, with a strong focus on matching stocking rate to carrying capacity, and animal performance, do not do a better job all round.

From there I managed to spend a day and night with a South African icon (in range management) Professor Winston Trollope. He is renowned for his Sherlock Holmes cap and for his research of the use of fire as a tool in managing rangeland. I was lucky enough to be there when he 'did a burn' on one of his trial sites at the famous Fort Hare University, at Alice, in the Eastern Cape. Fort Hare boasts having taught many world leaders, including Nelson Mandela.

Fire was always part of the system before we 'got smart' and began firefighting. Winston's trial results sure seem to demonstrate the benefits of fire in maintaining a healthy, brush-free (or at least brush controlled) range. While it may seem a waste to burn fodder, his results indicate that the subsequent years boast higher production of fodder, which then outperforms the pasture not burnt.

As we have done in past and hope to continue using fire to manage pulled country, it was invaluable to see some of his work (methods and results) and a bonus to enjoy the enthusiasm, hospitality and humour of this man!

Humour seems to be a prerequisite in the farming world in Sth Africa and this was epitomised by my next host, a 'mad' Scotsman by the name of Lochart Ainsley. He runs cattle and some goats in the hills by Adelaide. He is noted for his method of reconditioning overgrown, moribund pasture with oxen which I referred to as tractors. He uses very mature animals to knock down feed that most animals would die on. He 'trains' them to handle this by putting them in a kamp and leaving them to their own devices. He said that sometimes as you drive around checking them and the feed you have to cover your face so as not to see them (in their not so good condition!).

When they are in this state, he refers to them as having their overalls on. Later in their life they begin to handle the roughage a little better, and with a better season here and there they begin to freshen up. Once in this state he describes them as having sportscoats on.

In their final year on "Glen Gregor" (as 6 and 7 year old bullocks) they are treated to some time in the better kamps, to polish them up, thus they leave to meatworks with their tuxedos on!! Locharts underlying policy is "to fully utilise all available resources", and that he does.

Lochart is as well known in South Africa for the very famous cricket ground on his farm, (another example of Australian copyright being abused), the MCG. Lochart set out a few years ago to build a cricket ground on "Glen-Gregor" with a view to hosting international cricket games there. A crazy goal that was achieved in a very short time and one that will no doubt be repeated regularly. The ground boasts a very unique members bar from which the ground gets its name. It is located in a stone building, built in the early 1800s, and which houses a watermill, which until last decade was used for milling corn for the native workers. Milling ceased there some ten years ago when Lochart and is father found the miller tragically wrapped around the mechanics of the gears- having lost his footing while oiling the cogs while in operation. Workplace health and safety obviously doesn't immunise all.

I was invited to attend a private party at the MCG members bar by a group of 'life members' who had come for the weekend for a business meeting/weekend getaway, and a little hunting, which Loch caters for on his farm. Perhaps they run business better than they hunt! As we spent half a day in wind and rain to achieve a small fallow deer, while wildebeest and various others got off the hook. I hope this doesn't get back to them!

Anyway had a most enjoyable evening and copped a fair bit of flack for my 'Strine' accent, from Lochart and co. It was here that I introduced Sth Africa to Bundy rum, and where they retaliated with their 'cane', a clear liquid that I think is made by NASA! At nights end they gave me the remains of their bottle, and when offered the last of the bundy it was 'not so politely' declined....

I then spent an afternoon with Reg Bowker, a strong advocate of the Holistic Management approach to rangelands management, to which he became aquainted some 6-10 years ago. To him the principles of holistic management gave him many of the answers he had been seeking over many years to running a rural business in an environmentally and economically sustainable manner. Interestingly, I made a rushed trip to meet him, in the hope of looking at his farm and sharing ideas on practical range management, to spend the whole afternoon in his house, discussing more his transition and progression from something that clearly wasn't working, to a healthy business providing him and his family with the life they choose. Labor management was one of the main issues in his business, and one that he has worked hard on over recent years. It is an issue that will not go away, with South Africas transition from Apartheid to democracy not going altogether smoothly.

From there I hit the road in search of farmers doing it in a more arid region, and was not disappointed when I reached Graaf-Reinet, and was hosted by Norman and Jenny Kroon. Norman has been farming in this region pretty well all his life, and in my opinion is probably one of the 'real' pioneers of holistic management in the game of farming.

As a young man and with no education in this field began a new approach to grazing management, by breaking up his farm into relatively small kamps (paddocks) and implementing a rotational grazing system with his sheep, cattle and goats. He makes no secret of the fact that he made some mistakes over the decades that he has been doing it, and says that it was only with education in this field that he began ironing out the bumps.

Noman and Jenny own and run three farms in that region, and their rainfall ranges from 7 inches p.a. on one farm to about 20 odd inches on a mountaintop farm. Once again I was impressed and inspired by Norman's tenacity and love of, detailed knowledge and experience in hands on management of his veldt (rangeland). His attitude is one I would like to emulate at home and one which would benefit land-managers worldwide. Possibly the real strength of their business is the unfaltering support of a wife always willing to help with pasture analysis (and the gate opening involved!).private joke!

Norman along with other woolgrowers in South Africa some years ago formed a wool broking firm to try to achieve some equity in the marketing of their wool. At the time the wool industry was very regulated and they had little control in the farmgate price. The venture got off the ground, eventually made the big boys sit up and take notice, and is still a successful brokerage, dealing with selected clients, to deliver a better margin. They are now as a company looking at short, medium and longterm strategies to deal with the issues of farm takeovers and invasions by native Africans. This to me stuck out as a looming nightmare and huge security risk for many South African farmers.

At the same time one has to be careful not to judge the South African dilemma (social issues) by western world standards. In my mind the problems there are being exaserbated by a government that is not looking at the big picture. It is a government that now has a black mandate, (through its majority vote) and probably does not have the experience or will to manage the country through to peace and prosperity. On the other hand it could easily be argued that nor did the previous government! One must not get too much into the politics of it now....

On a management point though, the issue of labour efficiency in South African farming could seriously be questioned by an Australian farmer, with most medium sized farms employing from six to twenty full-time employees. Add to this their families that live on-farm and you are looking at farm populations of 50 to 150 people. While the wage is relatively low, when you consider the real costs of supporting all those mouths they again become rather substantial.

Here the social issue becomes apparent once more. With most of the employees being third and fourth generation on the farms it is a little hard to dispose of them in the quest for higher efficiency. With legislation there to prevent this and with the prospect of even higher unemployment, it is easy to see how change is slow.

From Graaf -Reinett I drove to the Vryburg region, via De Aar, Vanderkloof Dam and Kimberley. Having been born and raised in the Kimberley region of Western Australia, it was interesting to visit the district from where our Kimberley got its name.

Along the way I met a stock and station agent who seemed to have his finger on the pulse with marketing and also different breeds of sheep and cattle. He used to be a seedstock producer and boasted having bred a South African grand champion meat sheep ram some years ago. It dressed out at 80 odd kilgrams!.

His underlying message to me was 'Dorpas aint Dorpas'. What he meant was that in attempting to find a suitable animal for a particular environment, one must place as much focus or more on the characteristics within specific breeds than between breeds.

In Kimberley district I spent a day at a game farm with a brother of a previous host, who treated me with typical South African hospitality, hosting me in their home with the best of grub and a good drop or two. While there I eventually had the pleasure of viewing and actually feeding some seriously big pussy. They breed lions there and then release them on their gamepark for viewing and commercial hunting purposes. It was a little unnerving to be standing out in the veldt late at night (watering horses) listening to the lions roaring, and wondering whether you really shut their gate properly??!!

From here I drove to Vryberg where Sandy Speedy and family produce beef in a cell-grazing system. I spent a day and night with them, and saw firsthand the improvement in pasture productivity and profitability they have achieved there, through the more intense management of cells. Sandy suggests that adequate stock density and required rest for plants are the main ingredients for regenerating. Through this impact and rest they are getting over the top of brush encroachment on their farm and achieving much higher net production for every hectare. The old bulldozer that was once busy clearing timber now stands idle, rusting beside their shed, and is looking for a new home.

Possibly more interesting was their approach to tick control. Some time ago they got onto the idea of free-range chickens and went into it in a serious way. At one stage they had a flock of over a thousand chickens scratching around their kamps. While the wildlife kept their numbers trimmed, a side effect of the chicken was their soft spot for cattle tick. Within days they had the whole cattle herd clear of tick.

Now they have the chicken herd cut back to between 20 and 30 head, which keep a mob of 500 odd cattle clean. The cost of running them is negligible when compared to the costs of very regular dipping campaigns. This is symbolic of the holistic mentality which also has Norman Kroon drenching his stock with an oloe based paste that is harvested on property, to control intestinal parasites, and ticks. A cheaper and more organic approach than using synthetic chemicals.

Possibly the most interesting visit I had of all was my last 18 hours which was with Isaac Jocum, from the same area. I met him at two in the afternoon on my last day in SA, and went full boar with him until five the following morning when he had to leave for Jo'burg, and I had to go to bed!!

Isaac runs three herds of cattle in cells, with the help of his uncle, and also does a lot of cattle trading. He is by no means your conventional cattle cocky, and for this reason was very thought provoking.

Isaac is in the habit of breeding his own bulls and this was the cause for much debate. Among many other ideas, one of his is that an expensive purchased bull is a depreciating asset, as opposed to the value adding asset of a bull produced on property. Key to his breeding program is a very discriminative selection criterior, which results in very adaptive, hardy cattle that are early maturing and do well in the given environment. The end result of this are cattle that do relatively well thus are relatively easier to market, when the need arises.

Whether or not we go down this road of 'home-bred' genetics, the picture I got was the absolute need to have genetics in your cattle that enables them to handle the chosen environment, and then to have a market advantage (or at least not be disadvantaged) when it comes time to market them.

What was also interesting about Isaac's operation, was that he is really in a cashflow business, buying and selling cattle on a near weekly basis. This is distinctly different to ours, which has us generating cashflow on about 1-3 days per year. A couple of benefits of his are that he can minimise the cost of interest on borrowings, by gearing his sales to suit specific cash demands on the business. Also by being in the market on regular basis, he is in effect averaging the fluctuations in price for his commodity, which beats getting caught with the lower end of market, and also allows him to capitalise on the opportunities as they present themselves.

His location close to a regular selling centre makes this possible, and I ask myself how we could get into this sort of operation where we are? I suppose we don't have to do it just like that but we could certainly 'tidy up' how we market our commodity, and focus on how to ensure that we are not caught marketing our commodity at a less than ideal time. We could also get into marketing and purchasing on a more regular basis over the longer term, by considering alternative or extra locations for our business.

Isaac also identified an advantage in dealing in and also running female cattle. What he found was he could buy young heifers at an advantage, and not only could he get steer money for them, but he could command a premium for them. This was by having the right type of female, but also because he had more flexibility in how he marketed them. For instance he could move them on to backgrounders, meat processors, or sell them as PTIC heifers, or as cows and calves, which cant be done with steers.

Another significant advantage of the female is their inbuilt HGP (hormonal growth promotant). We spend up to $10-12/hd on steers to achieve growth rates that heifers will do with no help. He also believes that females are naturally earlier maturing than males, especially castrated males, thus being ready to finish earlier aswell. This certainly seemed evident in the mobs of steers and heifers we inspected, and was backed up by the figures from the database he has kept for the last 7-8 years.

What impressed me about Isaac was his statement early in our acquaintance that he was the 'laziest man in South Africa'. His go and get it attitude and the spring in his step didn't ring true with this quip, but the point was he didn't believe in wasting an ounce of energy on efforts that weren't rewarded. He also joked that he really wasn't all that smart, and didn't have the brains to think through all the complicated methods and practices that many farmers employ, so kept everything as simple as possible. Along with this he possessed a real zest for life and seemed to really love what he was doing. I'm not sure if he enjoyed it so much because it was simple, or if it was so simple because he enjoyed it so much?? I'll have to work on that one!

Possibly the one of the main ingredients to his successful business was his diversion from the norm- ie. every gate you drive past on the way to town is your competitor, therefore if you can be on the opposite end of the cycle you can possibly position yourself to capitalise on some substantial opportunities. This I found interesting because of my longstanding desire to understand better the fundamentals of price cycles- commodity and land, and thus position ourselves to capitalise on them. He pointed out that through the last two cycles of the beef cycle, he has been able to leverage his business from a substantial debt position into debt freedom. He has studied these cycles for a long time and put strategies in place to ride the waves.

Another was his rigid adherence to discipline and to ethics. Without this sooner or later everything will fail. Something which should go without saying, but also something that should be the building block for any business venture.

On the idea of irrigating to value add our beef commodity he had a simple equation for me, which will perhaps be better processed with a calculator than with a glass of port!!!

• 70000 litres of water will produce 10 kg of feed.

• 10 kg of feed will produce 1 kg of beef.

• Therefore you must be able to catch and pump/irrigate 70000 litre of water for less than 50 cents (cost of production of beef from dryland pasture)

I don't think we are producing beef for 50 cents/kg at this stage, but it is well and truly achievable, and I hope we are soon. Whether all the figures are spot on or tranferrable to home or not is irrelevant- what is important is to really weigh it up when considering to go 'farming' or not. On the other hand one needs to look not only at the margins of it, but as much at the flexibility of marketing that can be achieved from 'backgrounded' cattle. If we can get cattle to target weights at specific times of the year, then the margin is more in the cents/kg achieved than in the extra weight of animal.

All in all I really enjoyed the time I spent with him and he has me thinking more about all of the things we do, and this will no doubt benefit us for the long term. With all the adversity that farmers in South Africa face, (climate- weather and economy, social issues, and trade issues) all the ones I met shared a real enthusiasm for, and dedication to what they were doing, and for this reason I felt at home.