Nampo Alfa: Optimizing Beef Production with Devlan Limousins

John and Tracy, who met at Vitz University and married four years later, began their farming journey in 1988 with their first farm on the Vaal Dam. Initially, they started with commercial cattle, crossing Brahman cattle with a Limousin bull, and achieving good results in slaughter ox competitions. This success led them to establish a Devlan Limousin stud, as their cross-bred cattle were being slaughtered, prompting them to move into breeding.

The Limousin breed is highlighted as an efficient breed for producing more meat, with 20% more beef on the carcass compared to the average. It boasts better average daily gains and feed conversions, resulting in tender beef for the consumer. This efficiency, combined with increased carcass yield (60% versus an average 50%), translates to 70% more quantity of beef overall.

Their farming operation has expanded to seven farms, totaling 1,340 hectares on a large peninsula with 20 km of waterfront. They cultivate maize in summer and cover crops in winter, utilizing electric fences and high-intensive strip grazing to enhance carrying capacity. They currently manage 700 animals, plus an additional 100 Droughtmaster heads.

John and Tracy participate in cattle shows and interbreed championships, such as the NO Alpha, to showcase their cattle, promote their breed, and compare their performance against other breeders. Winning these competitions, particularly the overall supreme champion of champions, brings significant prestige, honor, and public recognition to their stud.

The beef industry faces several challenges, including rising costs, dropping meat prices, and intense competition from the chicken industry, which has a significantly better feed conversion rate (1.38 kg feed per 1 kg chicken vs. 6 kg feed per 1 kg beef). Additionally, foot-and-mouth disease restricts beef exports, though there are exports to the Middle East. There's also a lack of focus on protein in national diet discussions, with emphasis often placed on grains.

To address these challenges and improve efficiency, John and Tracy propose several solutions:

• Using the "right type of bull," specifically a Limousin-type bull, on commercial and indigenous animals to automatically generate more meat quantity. This leverages hybrid vigor, a concept they believe has been overlooked.
• Implementing a confirmation score system (1-5), where a round, beefy carcass (a five) is rewarded with a 10% premium on meat price, and a fat, flat carcass (a one or two) is penalized by 10%. This simple, common-sense approach would incentivize farmers to produce more beef without additional cost to the industry and encourage the use of appropriate genetics.
• Breaking down "silos" within the agri-supply chain to foster collaboration between producers, feedlots, and meat processors, as everyone would benefit.

They believe these changes, particularly focusing on genetics and a sensible confirmation score system, can make the beef industry more competitive against other protein industries by automatically producing more protein. They also highlight the need for greater attention to genetics in the beef industry, similar to the chicken industry, to improve feed efficiency. Their "keep it simple, stupid" recipe for success involves having well-adapted, functionally efficient, fertile cows that consistently produce excellent calves for show competitions.