AGRICULTURAL NEWS - Danie Thomas, a Dormer stud breeder in Kroonstad in the Free State, is first and foremost a businessman. Always striving for the best, he bought his commercial Dormer flock in 2013, and Johan Havenga’s and Hendrik Steyn’s Kairos Dormer stud in 2014.
At the Kairos production sale this year, Danie’s commercial Dormer ewes achieved the highest-ever South African price, with ewes in-lamb selling for an average of R5 600, and open ewes of seven to eight months selling for an average price of R3 500.
He ascribes his success to stringent selection for fertility, structural soundness and adherence to breed standards.
“BKB’s Wool and Sheep official, Karel du Plessis, does the final selection,” he says. “I sometimes hold my breath when he goes through the flocks and throws out animals I think should have stayed. But I know it’s for the best.”
His operation is run according to strict business principles; anything that is not profitable is eliminated.
“The Dormer is a hardy, well-adapted breed,” he says. “I started farming with practically nothing at a very young age, and quickly realised that profitability based on sound management is the foundation of any successful farming concern. This is where the Dormer comes in.”
A young farmer
When Danie was 10 years old, his family settled on the farm, Bankies. Soon after, Danie launched his first business selling and buying pigs in and around Edenville. At the age of 17, he established his farming enterpise with 50 broiler chickens. Shortly thereafter, using the income generated by his broilers and his other, smaller businesses, he bought 36ha of land and 30 lamb weaners.
Danie and Riekie Thomas with the Kairos Dormers flock managers. Back (from left): Willem Maribe, Riekie, Danie and Jan Tseko Tjotjela. Front (from left): Raboshene Edward Ramoliki, Machini Meschack Mokoena and Benjamin Ramabitsa.
This was the beginning of his career as a sheep farmer. By 2012, he was running a feedlot of 6 000 sheep, and 900 beef weaners on pasture. He marketed the sheep and cattle every two and four months respectively. During this time, he began keeping detailed records of the different breeds and crossbreeds in the feedlot.
He was also the first farmer in South Africa to import the Gallagher Sheep Auto Drafter, a fully automated weighing and sorting system from Australia.
A rocky road
Danie’s motto, ‘Faith and positivity’, was tested when he lost his feedlot enterprise in 2012.
“I ended-up in a court case with a leading commercial bank,” he says. “The matter was eventually settled, but not without leaving scars. One wrong decision by a bank official affected my business to such an extent that I had no choice but to call it a day and start afresh elsewhere.
“My wife, Riekie, and I moved to Pretoria where we started a coffee roastery. I had to work extremely hard to get the roastery off the ground and regain the losses I suffered from the feedlot’s failure. But I wasn’t defeated – I was determined to succeed as a farmer.”
Danie says that while life may be unpredictable, it offers unmissable opportunities. He had six opportunities to buy Havenga’s and Steyn’s Kairos Dormer stud, but could not afford it. Then, in 2014, he was offered the stud for the seventh time, and finally took the opportunity. He admits that he was uncertain, even after he had bought the stud, and even tried returning the stud to its former owners. Fortunately, they refused to buy it back.
