Dohne Merino breeders deserve to be complimented on major achievements during the past three years. World record prices were paid consecutively for the two best Dohne Merino rams in the world in 2017 and 2018. On top of that, five top sires were sold at the 2019 National sale at the average price of R106 400 each. Average prices at two production sales also crossed the R17 000 mark during 2019. This outstanding performance by Dohne breeders can largely be ascribed to diligent application of scientific animal improvement techniques over many years. This excellence of our breeders contributed to the Dohne Merino becoming, in the words of our president, a “world breed”. These achievements, together with the overall negative agricultural climate in South Africa, pose new and exciting challenges and opportunities to all Dohne Merino breeders. Some of these include:
- Effective international marketing of Dohne Merinos. The real challenge to South African breeders is to build on the initial successes of the breed abroad. Sustainable development and marketing of the Dohne Merino’s inherent ability to out-perform other breeds on a total-flock basis regarding net profit, is becoming even more crucial.
- Now more than ever, long term vision and discipline is needed to apply the Dohne Merino philosophy of not to overfeed animals for the purpose of short-term financial gain. Precision farming at all levels fits in well with the breed’s cornerstone of breeding hardy, well adapted sheep at minimum input cost. Improving on the amount of meat and fibre produced per kg input of dry matter and improved management thereof during more intense and prolonged periods of scarcity, is not negotiable. The fine edge Dohne Merino breeders are experiencing today, needs to be dramatically improved upon for competing successfully with other breeds in the small stock market.
- The Dohne Merino is the best positioned sheep breed to beat the current uncertainties in both the marketplace and the physical farming environment. It is however each breeder’s duty to exploit these new marketing opportunities to the best of his/her ability.
- Various bio-security issues pose new challenges to our breeders. One possibility to meet this challenge is to consider the possible production of disease-free genetic material. At the moment a host of diseases, some irrelevant, put South African Dohne breeders nationally and internationally at a disadvantage. It is trusted that Dohne Merino breeders will find innovative ways to meet this major challenge in 2020.
- Genomic selection is a given and breeders who collect DNA at this early stage, will benefit most from this exciting technology. Genomic selection will accelerate improvement of hardiness and adaptability traits. Accurate parentage, counteracting of inbreeding depression, identification of major gene effects and shorter generation intervals, are some added advantages that must be exploited.The Breed Society’s capacity to render service to its members will be greatly enhanced by the appointment of a technical officer. Currently negotiations with a possible candidate are underway. The Dohne Breed is looking forward to the upcoming World Conference which is already in its planning phase. The Breed Society’s management and every breeder will use all available resources in an accountable manner to stay at the forefront of animal breeding.
Dohne Merino-telers kan welverdiend gekomplimenteer word vir uitstekende prestasie in die kleinveebedryf gedurende die afgelope drie jaar. Wêreldrekordpryse is agtereenvolgens behaal vir die twee beste Dohne Merino-ramme ter wêreld in 2017 en 2018. Boonop is vyf top Dohne teeltvaars op die Nasionale veiling van 2019 teen die gemiddelde prys van R106 400 elk verkoop. Die gemiddelde pryse by twee van die ras se produksieveilings het ook die kerf van R17 000 oorgesteek in 2019. Hierdie uitsonderlike prestasies van Dohnetelers kan grootliks aan die toegewyde gebruik van wetenskaplike diereteelttegnieke oor baie jare, toegeskryf word. Die uitnemendheid van ons telers het tot gevolg gehad dat die Dohne Merino, in die woorde van ons president, ‘n ‘wêreldras’ geword het. Ras-ontwikkeling, saam met die algehele negatiewe landbouklimaat in Suid-Afrika, skep nuwe en opwindende uitdagings en uitdagende geleenthede vir alle Dohne Merino-telers. Sommige hiervan sluit in:
• Doeltreffende internasionale bemarking van Dohne Merinos. Die werklike uitdaging vir Suid-Afrikaanse telers, is om te bou op die aanvanklike suksesse van die ras in die buiteland. Volhoubare ontwikkeling en bemarking van die Dohne Merino se inherente vermoë om ander rasse te klop op basis van totale netto wins uit ‘n kudde, word nou nog meer krities belangrik.
• Langtermynvisie en -dissipline is nou, meer as ooit, nodig om die Dohne Merino-filosofie – om diere nie te oorvoer vir korttermyn finansiële gewin nie, toe te pas. Presisieboerdery op alle vlakke pas goed in by die ras se hoeksteen om geharde, goed aangepaste skape te teel teen minimum insetkoste. Verbetering in hoeveelheid vleis en vesel geproduseer per kg. droëmateriaal inset en die beter bestuur daarvan tydens langer en meer intense periodes van skaarsheid, is nie onderhandelbaar nie. Die dun lyn waarop Dohne Merino-telers hulle bevind betreffende markaandeel, sal dramaties verbeter moet word om die kommersiële wolskaapmark daadwerklik verder te penetreer.
• Die Dohne Merino is die skaapras wat ideaal geposisioneer is om die huidige mark-onsekerhede en swak fisiese boerderyomstandighede die hoof te bied. Dit is elke teler se plig om nou hierdie nuwe geleenthede na die beste van sy/haar vermoë te gebruik.
• Bio-sekuriteit en nuwe gesondheidseise stel verdere nuwe uitdagings aan ons telers. Een moontlikheid om hierdie uitdaging die hoof te bied, is om siektevrye genetiese materiaal te produseer. Op die oomblik is daar ‘n hele aantal siektes, sommiges irrelevant, wat Suid-Afrikaanse Dohne-telers nasionaal en internasionaal erg benadeel om mededingend te wees. Dohne Merino-telers sal innoverende oplossings moet vind om hierdie geweldige uitdaging in 2020 aan te spreek.
• Genomiese seleksie is ‘n gegewe en telers wat DNS in hierdie vroeë stadium versamel, sal ‘n “genetiese voorsprong” opbou deur hierdie opwindende tegnologie betyds te verreken. Genomiese seleksie sal natuurlik aspekte soos gehardheid en aanpasbaarheid teen ‘n versnelde tempo kan aanspreek. Akkurate ouerskap, die vermyding van inteelt-depressie, identifisering van hoof-geen-effekte en verkorting van generasie-interval, is bykomende aspekte wat die tempo van genetiese verandering in ‘n populasie kan versnel.
Die kapasiteit van die Telersgenootskap om diens aan sy lede te lewer, sal aansienlik verbeter word deur die aanstelling van ‘n tegniese beampte. Tans is onderhandelings met ‘n moontlike kandidaat onderweg. Die Dohne-ras sien ook uit na die komende wêreldkonferensie wat reeds in sy beplanningsfase is. Beide die bestuur en alle telers sal alle moontlike hulpbronne so goed moontlik, en op ‘n verantwoordbare wyse aanwend om op die voorpunt van diereteelt te bly.