The importance of maintaining reproductive health in a herd
Following in the footsteps of his ancestors, Gerhard Grobler, of Smitsfield farm in Lothair, Mpumalanga, started farming intensively about 10 years ago. His great-grandfather started out as a sheep herder and systematically bought pieces of land in the area. When Grobler began farming, he was breeding Bonsmara cattle, but about three years ago, he started introducing Beefmaster genetics into his herd after realising his farming operation was better suited to a crossbred herd.
His beef herd now consists of 60% Bonsmara cattle and 40% Beefmaster-Bonsmara crossbred animals.
Grobler farms on 1 800ha, but only 600ha is cultivated land. He also has 80ha planted to weeping lovegrass ( The rest of the
