Breeding for efficiency adds value for this cattle farmer

Anneri Otto, who runs a diverse operation on the farm Oppaslaagte near Coligny, North West, became a farmer out of necessity. She didn’t grow up on a farm and had little knowledge of farming, but when her husband, Derik, passed away in 2003, Otto had to quickly learn how to manage the business on her own.

Derik mainly farmed grain until around 1994, when he started the Mooifontein Hereford stud with 30 heifers. The farm later expanded with the Hot Angus stud and, more recently, Otto decided to diversify with the addition of pecan nuts.

“When I look back now, I realise I would never have made it [to where I am] without the help and knowledge shared by other farmers in