The livestock industry in South Africa is an important component of the South African agricultural sector. Just as it is necessary for a farmer to insure his crop on the land, so too a livestock farmer’s herd is his livelihood and it should be insured against perils unique to the livestock industry.

Livestock insurance is a comprehensive product and often the range of cover available is overlooked. Santam Agriculture relationship manager, Pierre Rossouw, explains that livestock farmers must decide whether they require insurance for stud or commercial animals. “There are a number of significant differences and farmers have to discuss these with their brokers to ensure that their animals are covered correctly,” Rossouw says.

Livestock insurance is not a stand-alone policy, but can be taken out as part of a farmer’s asset insurance. He explains that most farmers who take out livestock insurance are those who keep pedigree animals. Such animals have a much higher value and need specialised care. Full or limited cover is available in insurance policies for livestock.

Furthermore, he explains that farmers should tailor their insurance policy based on the risks specific to their area. “In certain areas of the country, lightning is a big risk and farmers would then ensure that they have cover for this,” he says.

The insurance product for stud animals and commercial herds differs in some respects. If a farmer wants to take out insurance specifically for stud animals, the animals have to be registered with the relevant breeders’ association. Pedigree animals are purebred livestock of a particular breed, such as Bonsmaras. However, animals from a commercial herd aren’t necessarily purebred, and are mainly reared for the commercial market.

“This is why insurance for these two categories of livestock is so different,” he says. Stud animals are insured on an individual basis. Comprehensive cover can be taken out, but it is up to the farmer to include the perils he deems most important. The policy can insure against death of animals caused by an accident, illness or disease that occurs in the insured period. Such insurance would include cover against fire, lightning, explosions and attacks on livestock by wild dogs or other wild animals. Poisoning and in-transit causality can also be included in the policy. Depending on the area and associated risks, farmers can also choose to include insurance against red water fever, heartwater fever, gall sickness, pulpy kidney and bluetongue.

When it comes to insurance for male stud animals, it is also possible to take out cover for impotence. However, a veterinary certificate has to be presented to prove that the animal was

fertile, healthy and able to reproduce at the time when the policy was taken out.

Female stud animals can also be insured. Cover can be extended to include calves or twin calves older than 24 hours and younger than six months. The insurance of the female adult animal includes the cover of calves or twin calves up to 20% of the female animal’s value. Unlike male animals, insurance against infertility is not available.

A livestock insurance policy can be extened to include theft, but he explains that this is only possible if the client can comply with certain terms and conditions. “Stock theft is a huge problem and most insurance companies nowadays won’t grant insurance against it. Santam is one of the only insurance companies that would still consider it,” he points out.

Insurance for the commercial herd differs as the farmer cannot insure individual animals. The entire commercial herd can be insured for fire, lightning, explosions and some additional extensions. However, the type of comprehensive cover available for the stud doesn’t apply for the commercial herd.

Rossouw explains that there is a good reason for this: “Stud animals can be individually identified as they are registered, but this is not the case with commercial animals,” he says. Cover against exposure is an optional extra that can be added to the policy. Insurance for farmers who keep Game is also available, but this would be limited to fire, lightning and explosion risk.

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Frans en Janine by Dale Lasater

Frans saam met dr Tommy Perkins by die Lasater ranch in

San Antonio

Johnny, Hans, Manny & Paul at the baseball stadium in Dallas, USA

Movers&Shakers

CA Janse van Rensburg, Nooitverwag Beefmaster Stud, Ermelo – Mpumalanga provinsiale wenner

Mr TI Fouché, Fouché Beefmaster Stud Lichtenburg Farmer’s Weekly-ARC best Elite Cow - Beefmaster - TOM 950016

Pieter v Deventer, Hybrid Beefmaster Stud, Lichtenburg – Beefmaster personality of the year,

Dennis Staal2009 Molatek

Vleisbeesboer van die jaar

Tony da Costa2009 Jongboer

van die Jaar

Travellers...

Winners...

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Travellers...

Winners...

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2009BeefmasterNationale Veiling & Dinee

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2009Nationale Veiling & Dinee

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Die Beefmaster Beestelersgenootskap van S.A. is toegewyd om die hoë standaarde van die ras vol te hou. Hulle wil ook hê dat telers meer kreatief moet wees en hulle diere moet teël volgens teëlstandaarde wat gebruik word vanaf die 1930’s soos ontwikkel deur Tom Lasater.Om dit te verseker, hou die genootskap ‘n jaarlikse kursus vir keurders/

inspekteurs as dryfkrag om te verbeter en die Beefmasterras te bevorder. Onlangs was die kursus gehou by Manjoh Ranch van die Da Costa’s naby Nigel.

Die hoof objektief van die kursusse is om keurders, telers en hul werknemers te leer hoe om die korrekte seleksie metodes te gebruik in ‘n kudde en om potensiële probleme in hul kuddes uit te ken. Keurders moet kan onderskei tussen gewenste en ongewenste diere.

Hans Coetzee het die kursus gelei, Piet Human en Kerneels van Rensburg het gehelp met die aanbieding en evaluasie van die kursusgangers. Meer as 60 belangstellendes het die kursus bygewoon. Die kursus was ‘n reuse sukses.

Vorige jare sou sowat 10 – 15 mense die kursusse bywoon, maar hierdie jaar was die belangstelling groot. Van die 60 mense wat die kursus bygewoon het, het 50 eksamen afgelê, 9 het gekwalifiseer as senior inspekteurs/keurders en 30 as junior inspekteurs/keurders.

Die feit dat daar so ‘n groot belangstelling was in die kursus, is ‘n bewys van die groeiende belangstelling in die Beefmasterras regoor S.A. Baie geluk aan die groep senior en junior keurders wat die eksamens geslaag het.

Baie dankie aan almal wat die kursus bygewoon het en almal wat betrokke was by die organisasie.

Beefmaster

Keurderskursus16 & 17 Februarie 2010 ‘n Tipiese ongewenste dier

Voorbeeld van Beefmaster tipe koeie

Bespreking van bulle

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Nicolaas de Villiers Pretorius en Kowie Pretorius is beide gebore in 1978 in Rustenburg. Hulle ontmoet mekaar in hul

standard nege jaar en matrikuleer aan die Rustenburg Hoërskool in 1996 waarna hulle beide gaan studeer aan die Potchefstroomse Universiteit vir Christelike Hoër Onderwys.

Nico voltooi sy B. Comm Regte graad in 1999 en sy deeltydse B. Comm Hons.graad in 2001. Nico begin in 2000 werk as rekenmeester by Xstrata Alloys in Rustenburg. Hy geniet sy werk baie en en na tien jaar van harde werk en lang ure is hy vandag nog by Xstrata Alloys as Finansiele Bestuurder by die Finansiele Hoofkantoor in Rustenburg. Xstrata Alloys bied vir Nico baie geleenthede en kyk baie goed na hom en sy gesin, Sy toewyding aan sy werk is die hoofbron van sy sukses wat hom die geleentheid gee om as jong opkomende boer met ‘n passie vir beeste en destemeer vir die Beefmaster ras sy naam te kan begin maak.

Kowie voltooi haar LLB graad aan dieselfde Universiteit en begin daarna praktiseer in Rustenburg by Grobler Levin en Sonius Inc. in Rustenburg. Sy sluit daarna aan by die welbekende firma Van Velden Duffey Ing. waar sy as hoof van die invorderingsafdeling van dìe firma praktiseer as prokureur tot 2009. Sy besluit daarna om voltyds by hul kinders DeNicke en Fanus te wees en om Nico by te staan om PSB Beefmasters op die been te bring.

Nico en Kowie is getroud op 20 Januarie 2001 en verwag 6 jaar later vir DeNicke Elizabeth Pretorius op 28 Junie 2006 (3 en ‘n half jaar) en daarna op 25 September 2007 vir Machiel Andries Stephanus (2 en ‘n half jaar) wat vernoem

is na Nico se oupa en sy oorlede pa, Fanus Pretorius.

‘n Wonderlike voorreg om op ons ouderdom geseënd te wees met soveel geluk en voorspoed en ‘n wonderlike gesinslewe.Nico was bevoorreg om groot te word op sy oupa se bosveld beesplaas “Klipkloof”, naby Steenbokpan, en ontwikkel daar sy liefde en passie vir beeste. Oupa Faantjie boer aanfanklik met verskeie rasse, onder andere Afrikaners, Bramane en Simentalers. In 1984 stel

Mnr. Tony Brink hom bekend aan die Beefmaster ras, waarna hy eers een bul en later nog 6 top bulle en vroulike aanteel diere koop vanaf Tony Brink. Hy was baie tevrede met hoe die Beefmasters presteer, veral in die geharde Bosveld, en versterk sy kudde verder met veral top bulle vanaf Jan Schoeman “Oktavia Beefmasters”.

In 2003 verkoop oupa Faantjie sy plaas as gevolg van ouma Bets en sy ouderdom en gesondheid en gee vir hulle seun Frikkie Pretorius en kleinsuens Nico en Fanie Pretorius, van sy top vroulike aanteel diere in sy kudde.

Nico mis die bosveld ongelooflik baie en koop in 2005 sy eeste plaas “Patrysvlei”, naby Sentrum in die Thabazimbi omgewing en begin op groter skaal met Beefmasters boer.In 2008 koop hy sy tweede plaas “Kleifontein” buite Koster en brei sy beesboerdery verder uit, nou ook in die hoëveld. Begin 2009 registreer hy as stoet Beefmaster teler, en vind “PSB Beefmasters” sy bestaan, en koop ‘n hele Beefmaster kudde wat hoofsaaklik uit “Bochveld Beefmaster” vroulike diere bestaan, om sy stoetery vinniger van die grond af te kry en wat ook sy genetika dadelik verder op die voorgrond plaas.

Nico en sy oom Frikkie (FCH) Pretorius, wat ook in 2009 as ‘n stoet Beefmaster teler geregistreer het en boer in die Rustenburg omgewing, koop van die begin af hulle bulle saam, en hou tans ‘n top gene poel van uitstekende aanteel materiaal. Hulle glo ook aan streng selektering wat verseker dat hulle kuddes en gene poel voortdurend aan hoer standaarde voldoen. As besigheids-manne, glo Nico en Frikkie dat mens ekonomies van die veld af met beeste moet boer, waar elke koei elke jaar ‘n top aanteel kalf van die veld af speen.

Nico se groot droom is om sy liefde, passie en kennis van beeste wat hy vanaf sy oupa geërf het verder uit te leef en te verbeter en ook dit so aan sy nageslag oor te dra.

Nico en Kowie Pretorius verwelkom graag enige besoekers op enige van hulle plase, asook enige navrae en oproepe van enige balangstellendes.

Vriendelike groete.

Nico & Kowie Pretorius.PSB Beefmasters

“Waar beesboerdery nie ‘n werk is nie, maar eerder ‘n passie wat uitgeleef word”

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