Maxmedia Video Podcasts

South Africa's Agri-Vision: Unpacking Steenhuisen's Roadmap for a Resilient Dairy & Red Meat Future

Join us as we delve into the critical insights from the recent TMR Conference, where South Africa’s Minister of Agriculture, John Steenhuisen, laid out a bold roadmap for the nation's dairy and red meat industries. Faced with recurring outbreaks of Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD), severe drought, water scarcity, and the complexities of shifting global markets, South African livestock producers are being tested like never before.In this episode, we explore the Minister's frank assessment of the sector's headwinds, emphasizing that while South Africa's beef and dairy products are world-class, their potential is currently "constrained by challenges of scale, sustainability, and market access".
 
Steenhuisen’s vision for a resilient future and globally competitive exports rests on five strategic pillars:
•Biosecurity and Disease Resilience: Discover the plans for a nationally coordinated FMD vaccination programme, upgraded veterinary infrastructure, and a fully digitised traceability framework, which the Minister declared "non-negotiable"
•Structural Transformation and Inclusion: Learn how the roadmap aims to include smallholder and communal farmers in formal markets through expanded support, investments in rural feedlots, milk collection centres, and pasture improvements, viewing this not as charity but as a "sound business strategy".
•Regulatory Efficiency and Trade Enablement: Understand the commitment to reforming slow export certification processes, strengthening export committees, and aligning veterinary diplomacy to secure new markets, especially for processed dairy products like milk powder.
•Climate Adaptation and Environmental Stewardship: Explore proposed investments in drought-resilient fodder species, rotational grazing, rangeland restoration, and climate information systems, alongside a call for a fair international approach to carbon standards that doesn't leave emerging producers behind.
•Public-Private Partnerships and Coordination: Hear why Minister Steenhuisen stressed that "working in silos will not get the job done," advocating for stronger collaboration with processors, buyers, and industry associations to build a reliable and inclusive livestock sector.
 
This episode highlights the urgent call to action for collaboration across the entire livestock value chain, echoing Steenhuisen's powerful message: "The destination is clear. A South Africa where every farmer, large or small, has a pathway to the market, and where our red meat and dairy products are trusted and traded across the world". It's a journey that demands unity, urgency, and a shared purpose to build the resilient, world-class dairy and red meat sector South Africa deserves.

Unlock Your Herd's Potential: Smart Monitoring for Health & Productivity

Discover how wearable technology for cows, often described as "Fitbits for cows," is revolutionizing herd management and health monitoring. These tools, which include collars, tags, and rumen boluses, capture vital information to assist with routine tasks like heat detection, identifying sick animals, detecting non-cycling cows, and timing insemination. The ideal setup integrates seamlessly with existing farm technology and comes with expert support and training. However, some farmers struggle to interpret health alerts, leading to missed benefits. Learn how systems trigger alerts based on factors like reduced activity, rumination, temperature, lying/eating time, and rumen pH. This podcast will explore the invaluable uses of this technology for both seasonal and year-round calving herds and emphasize the importance of doing your homework before investing and making full use of your technology partners and local veterinarians to maximize benefits.

Breathe Easy: Unlocking Dairy Cow Health & Digestion with Exhalomics

Join us to delve into the fascinating science of exhalomics, the study of metabolites and compounds found in exhaled breath. Dr. Mutian Niu, an assistant professor of animal nutrition at ETH Zurich, Switzerland, explains this innovative and non-invasive technology that offers a new way to potentially monitor the digestive activity, environmental impact, and health of dairy cows. Discover how studying exhaled breath can provide a window into rumen fermentation activity, acting as a proxy for rumen volatile fatty acids and predicting changes in rumen pH. Learn about its potential for early warning of conditions like subacute ruminal acidosis (SARA), and its broader applications in pinpointing biomarkers for early detection of diseases such as respiratory disease, ketosis, mastitis, metritis, and displaced abomasum.

Mooving Wheels: The Overlooked R1.2 Billion Investment in Farm Tyres

Discover the critical yet often overlooked R1.2 billion annual investment in farm tyres made by South African farmers across their agricultural vehicles. Despite this significant expenditure, tyres can sometimes be overlooked compared to other technological advancements in agriculture. This podcast highlights why premium-quality tyres are more than just components; they are a critical enabler of uptime, safety, and cost-efficiency on farms. Learn how advanced agricultural tyres offer benefits such as reduced soil compaction, better traction, and lower fuel consumption, directly impacting a farm's bottom line.

Understanding, Vaccinating, and Protecting Against a Serious Zoonotic Threat

Dive into the critical topic of Rift Valley Fever (Slenkdalkoors), a severe viral disease affecting hooved animals and posing a serious health risk to humans. This podcast explores the only effective control method: sustainable immunization, particularly crucial during wet periods when mosquitoes are disease carriers.
Learn about the two primary types of vaccines available: the live Smithburn vaccine, developed by Onderstepoort Biologiese Produkte (OBP), which provides lifelong immunity after a single dose, typically effective three to four weeks post-vaccination.
We'll also cover the inactivated (killed) vaccine, specifically developed for pregnant animals, which requires annual vaccinations as it provides good, but not as strong, immunity compared to the live vaccine. Discover key vaccination guidelines, including appropriate ages for animals, optimal timing before the rainy season, and necessary precautions during outbreaks. 

Decoding South Africa's Soils: A Deep Dive into Classification and Land Use

Explore the unique South African soil classification system, which is used exclusively in South Africa because global systems like WRB and USDA Soil Taxonomy do not accommodate the full spectrum of South African soils. This system utilizes five diagnostic topsoil horizons and 25 diagnostic subsoil horizons to define master horizons.
Once identified, these master horizons are classified into diagnostic horizons, which then define the soil form (with most South African soils fitting into 74 soil forms). Differing soil forms are grouped into larger soil groups, such as lime-rich, podzolic, plinthic, young, and rocky soils, which convey shared characteristics useful for evaluating land use.
This episode delves into specific soil groups like Organic soils (hydromorphic and unsuitable for commercial grain production), Humic soils (generally highly productive but requiring lime/gypsum), Vertic soils (exhibiting pronounced swelling and shrinkage, nutrient-rich but challenging for rainfed agriculture), and Melanic soils (with good structure, high base status, and suitable for tillage). Understanding these classifications simplifies decisions about appropriate land use and serves as the foundation for soil mapping." 

Dairy-Beef Crossbreds: A Transformative Shift in the Red Meat Industry

Discover how dairy-beef cross-bred cattle are revolutionizing the red meat industry. This episode explores the remarkable findings that show these animals offer significantly better average daily gain and feed-to-gain ratios than Holsteins, finishing approximately 20% faster.
You'll learn how they achieve comparable or even superior quality grades to conventional beef, inheriting excellent marbling traits, and boast a higher red meat yield than dairy carcasses. We'll delve into their eating quality, noting their high ratings for 'fat-like' and 'buttery' flavor, and how cross-breeding eliminates the issue of dark meat color and improves color stability.
Furthermore, these crossbreds offer larger, rounder loin muscles indistinguishable from conventional beef, and provide consistent, year-round supply with valuable traceability.
However, we also address the last major challenge: managing liver abscesses, which can complicate harvest and impact profitability. Tune in to understand this overwhelmingly positive transformation! 

Algae's Innovative Solution for Dairy Waste Water in SA

South Africa's vital dairy industry, with 360,000 cows milked daily, faces a significant challenge: managing substantial volumes of waste water, primarily slurry from milking parlour operations.
Current methods like settling ponds often fall short of national standards and engineered wetlands require large land areas. While various mechanical, physiochemical, and biological treatments exist, no single method consistently meets discharge standards, often requiring combinations like aerobic and anaerobic processes.
However, a paradigm shift is occurring, recognizing dairy waste water as a valuable resource that can be transformed into bioproducts like biofuel and biofertiliser. In response to this and the diminishing freshwater reserves and rising NPK fertiliser costs, scientists are exploring an innovative, low-cost solution called phycoremediation.
This technique utilizes algae to clean waste water by leveraging their natural ability to absorb nutrients and pollutants. Laboratory experiments have shown that microalgae can effectively remove over 90% of harmful pollutants from dairy farm waste water.
Phycoremediation presents a promising alternative, enabling dairy farms to continue production without negatively impacting the environment and supporting long-term sustainability by conserving natural resources. Field trials are now underway to further refine this process.

The Dairy Farm's A-Team: Unpacking the Experts Behind Healthy Herds

Dive into the world of modern dairy farming and discover the crucial "A-Team" that ensures the productivity, well-being, and health of every cow. While most dairy farms in South Africa are family-owned and operated with farmers overseeing daily chores, achieving ultimate productivity, good stewardship, and herd health is truly a team effort.
In this episode, we explore the specialized roles within this essential team:
• The Farmers: As the leaders, farmers spend hours daily with their herds, ensuring health and productivity through consistent care. Modern dairy farming demands considerable expertise, requiring farmers to stay informed and continuously improve their knowledge of the latest trends, research, and technologies.
• Herdspeople and Farmworkers: Often the second in command, herdspeople work closely with the cows every day. Their crucial role is to tend to the herd, which includes traditional observation, treatment, and increasingly, advanced high-tech monitoring of data like step counts, milk temperature, and somatic cell count. Their most important responsibility is ensuring the health and well-being of every cow and knowing when to seek outside help.
• The Veterinarians: Vital to dairy farms, veterinarians offer routine services like checkups, evaluations, vaccinations, herd health assessments, and pregnancy ultrasounds. They are specialists in cows and livestock, possessing deep knowledge of common conditions and collaborating closely with farmers to develop tailored biosecurity and vaccination programs. They also work with farmers to determine the best course of action for sick animals, including potential antibiotic treatment or surgery.
• The Nutrition Experts: These key members help formulate cows' diets based on their specific needs at different life and lactation stages, often identifying necessary vitamin and mineral supplements. Modern cow nutrition is a scientific, research-based practice, directly impacting cow health, the environment, and milk quality. Nutrition experts, veterinarians, and farmers work in close collaboration for the best approach for each herd.
• Farm Advisers and Other Specialists: To fill knowledge gaps and enhance production practices, farmers also rely on highly specialized experts. This includes agrologists, who provide specialized advice and stay current with the latest science in areas like soil, crops, and animal care. Additionally, hoof trimmers play a serious and specialized role in preventing and treating mobility and foot health issues, though some farmers handle this themselves.
Learn about the detailed care that goes into various aspects of dairy farming, such as:
• Calf Rearing: Optimal calf rearing leads to healthy calves, high-performing heifers, and ultimately, a productive herd. Key steps include proper colostrum management, ensuring hygienic collection, checking quality with a refractometer, determining minimum needed liters, and supplying sufficient IgG within hours of birth. Using premium calf milk replacers like Kalvolac is crucial, with ingredients like high-quality whey proteins for digestion and rumen development, 40% highly digestible coconut oil for reduced fecal disorders and antimicrobial properties, and IMAGRO® (pre-biotic, pro-biotic, organic acids) for optimal infant nutrition. Kalvolac also includes CAIR, a mix of herbs and essential oils that contributes to a healthy respiratory tract, leading to 33% less respiratory discomfort and medicine use, and a 10% increase in calf growth.
• Dry Cow Management: Addressing conditions like milk fever is critical. Molatek Pro 16 is a premium protein energy mineral supplement specifically formulated for dry cow management to reduce the occurrence of milk fever. An intake of 2 kg per cow per day can provide adequate anionic salts, promote a balanced diet to enhance calcium status, include sufficient sulphur, and provide essential trace elements to boost immune function and prevent postpartum retained placenta.At its core, dairy farming is a long, dedicated, and collaborative effort where the health of the cows is always the top priority, emphasizing the importance of positive human-animal interactions from every team member.

Dairy Price Dynamics: Unpacking Retail Trends 2023-2025

Join us for an in-depth look at the shifting landscape of dairy retail prices, drawing on economic indicators prepared by MPO economist Jade Smith. This episode dives into the comprehensive monitoring of average retail prices for fresh milk, long-life milk, and Cheddar cheese across various brands from January to May over 2023, 2024, and 2025.
 
Key insights you'll discover:
Fresh Milk Analysis:
We compare Clover 2 L fresh full-cream milk prices, noting a R2,25 increase in May 2024 compared to May 2023, contrasting with a R3,00 downward shift in May 2025 compared to the previous year. You'll also learn how 2025 prices for Clover milk were roughly in line with 2023 levels, unlike the 3,7% decline observed in 2024 for the same period.
 
Explore Douglasdale 2 L fresh full-cream milk prices, which in both April and May 2025, held the position as the highest-priced brand among Clover and the Department's Own Brand (DOB). We reveal that in May 2025, Douglasdale's price was 4,5% higher compared to the same month in both 2023 and 2024.
 
Discover the trends for the Department's Own Brand (DOB) 2 L fresh full-cream milk, which was the only brand among Clover and Douglasdale to record an average price below R35,00 during the first five months of 2025. We highlight that DOB was the cheapest option in May 2025 at R34,68, significantly lower than Clover (R35,17) and Douglasdale (R36,32).
 
Long-Life Milk Overview: Unpack the pricing of Clover 1 L long-life milk, which experienced the smallest price variation of 46 cents during the first five months of 2025 compared to Parmalat (49 cents) and Crystal Valley (56 cents). Learn about its price decrease in May 2025 compared to 2023 and 2024. 
Examine Parmalat 1 L long-life milk prices, noting it was the most expensive brand to purchase in the first five months of 2025 with prices consistently above R21,00. We also delve into its price increase in May 2025 compared to May 2023, followed by a decrease relative to May 2024. Find out why Crystal Valley 1 L long-life milk stands out as the most affordable option, consistently recording prices below R20,00. While affordable, the first three months of 2025 saw its highest price levels, averaging around R18,00.
 
Cheddar Cheese Market Watch:
 Investigate Lancewood Cheddar cheese prices per kilogram, observing a significant downward movement of R17,26 from April 2024 to May 2025. Despite this, in May 2025, its price slightly increased by 0,7% compared to May 2023, in contrast to a 10% decrease over the same period in 2024.
Explore Parmalat Cheddar cheese prices per kilogram, which remained the most expensive cheese brand relative to Lancewood, Clover, and Elite Cheddar. Its price in May 2025 increased by 16% and 5% compared to May 2023 and 2024, respectively.
Discover the affordability of Clover Cheddar cheese per kilogram, which was the most affordable brand to purchase during the first five months of 2025. In May 2025, Clover Cheddar was significantly cheaper than Lancewood, Parmalat, and Elite Cheddar.
 
Understand the trends for Elite Cheddar cheese per kilogram, where prices began to stabilise from February to May 2025, a departure from significant fluctuations in prior years. Elite Cheddar recorded the largest year-on-year increase of 26% in May 2025 compared to May 2023, and 17% compared to May 2024.
 
This episode offers valuable insights for anyone interested in dairy market trends and consumer pricing. All data is based on information compiled by the MPO economist, Jade Smith, using data from BMI as supplied by Agri Inspec.