Progress in the meat industry
Barry du Plessis receives the SAFJA award for First Reserve Lamb Show for 2024 from SAFJA Secretary Andrew Adams, on behalf of the Royal Agricultural Society.
The Royal Agricultural Society attended the South African Fatstock Judging Association’s (SAFJA) 2025 conference, judging course and gala evening, held over three days last week at Platrand Lodge near Ladysmith.
The course and conference were attended by 44 delegates from all over the country.
At SAFJA’s gala awards held on Friday evening, the RAS was delighted to receive the SAFJA award for First Reserve Lamb Show for 2024.
Shows are awarded for a combination of the quality of the lambs, the number of people who come to the show, the show’s social media presence, and the opportunities provided for those exhibiting to be educated to produce better lambs.
Senior Judge Johan Odendaal emphasized that in scoring show societies for these awards, SAFJA rewards shows that encourage farmers to attend the live judging on the hoof. The more farmers in attendance, the better, as it is vital to educate farmers in order to improve breeds, he said.
Equally pleasing was 2Broers Dormers’ Breed Award for SAFJA’s 2024 Champion Dormer carcass, which was entered at the Royal Agricultural Show. The award was received on behalf of Tjaart Steenekamp by the RAS.
There were a number of other stand-out features at this year’s SAFJA conference and course, including the renewed cooperation between SAFJA and the South African Meat Industry Company (SAMIC) to better serve the interests of meat producers, processors and consumers.
Over the next few days, we will be posting more from SAFJA’s 2025 event.
The 2024 Fat Lamb competition underway at the Royal Agricultural Show.
Tjaart Steenekamp of Twee Broers Dormers receives the trophy for the Champion Lamb Carcass from RAS President Tim Nixon at the 2024 Royal Agricultural Show’s Carcass Competition.
SAFJA’s 2024 Champion Dormer Carcass, bred by Tjaart Steenekamp of Twee Broers Dormers, photographed at the 2024 Royal Carcass Competition.
