Speakers

Rebone is a senior lecturer and Head of Department of Production Animal Studies at the Faculty of Veterinary science (UP).

He has extensive agricultural experience gained whilst working in the public sector as a state veterinarian, leading the SAVC as its president for two terms, working as the Afrivet Chair on Primary Animal Health Care at the Faculty of Veterinary science (UP) His expertise centres around farmer development, policy aspects related to animal diseases and, the impact thereof on livestock development and livelihoods.

He will be focusing on a veterinary extension methodology related to Primary Animal Health Care, which a veterinary team (veterinarians and veterinary para-professionals) could adopt and use to empower and provide tools & skills to livestock handlers and owners (particularly small scale and communal farmers) whilst promoting access to veterinary services and creating opportunities for growth. The model centres around basic animal health practices, basic improvement of production parameters and improving participation within markets as a means for contributing towards improving local sustainable livestock production, food security, livelihoods, and economic growth. A model which is an easy quick win and demonstrates the contribution of the veterinary profession towards uplifting the rural poor among others, out of poverty, food insecurity and sustainable production as outlined in the set Sustainable Development Goals.

Dr Johan Oosthuizen, is a Senior Advisor to the project for the EuFMD FAO as well as a Senior Lecturer in Animal Health at UNISA 2012 – 2022 and the chair of the OIE ad hoc group for development of VPP (Veterinary Paraprofessional) competency and curriculum guidelines from 2016 – 2019. He is also an OIE VPP expert 2021 and a Councillor at the SAVC from 2009 – 2015

His presentation will be focusing on competency specific training within identified gaps for Animal Health graduates to ensure a competent cadre of Animal Health VPPs delivering a service to new and upcoming smallholder farmers in need of a quality animal health service as well as the role we as veterinarians can play in the roll out of this national program supported by the FAO and Health for Animals as well as the World Veterinary Association.

Matthew qualified in 2000 with a Bachelor of Business Science, honours in marketing. After spending time in marketing and management consulting, he joined Afrivet in 2008 to setup Afrivet Training Services. ATS had the mandate to focus on the development of the extensive livestock smallholder sector, and the training and technical support tools needed to support and sustain its growth. He has spent the last 12 years focused on this, working with stakeholders along the value chain in identifying the key requirements for profitable smallholder livestock production and how these can best be provided in a cost-effective, sustainable manner. In doing this he focused on the importance of primary animal healthcare and the veterinary extension support services needed to make establish and sustain this approach.

Dr Alicia Cloete is a state veterinarian in the Disease Control Sub-Directorate of the Directorate Animal Health of DALRRD, and has been with the Department since 2014 Dr Cloete mainly focuses on zoonotic diseases (including brucellosis, tuberculosis, rabies and Rift Valley fever) and works closely with colleagues involved with other ruminant diseases such as FMD, CBPP and RVF.

This presentation aims to update attendees on some of the important controlled diseases that affect ruminants and to provide insight into what it takes to tackle these diseases and what we all can do to make a difference.

Tod Collins is a very boring fellow. He has only lived in two places, homes, in his entire lifespanwhich is creeping towards that 3 score and 10.His childhood was spent on a farm in the Midlands of KZN. He has spent these last 40 years as avet in Underberg. He graduated from Onderstepoort in 1973, alongside Robin Linde, Gerry Swan,Moritz van Vuuren, Leon Prozesky, Koos Coetzer, Chris Carrington, Joop Boomker and a couplemore serious academic and research scientists.He married an Underberg farmer's daughter Trish. They have three daughters and two grandkids,spread between England, Durban and Rhodes U in Grahamstown.Tod has leant towards being a bovine specialist; though mixed practice has forced him to deal withhorsey women, hamsters and the whole gamut.One great uncle was the geologist with Captain Scott in Antarctica in 1902, and another ancestoraccompanied Thomas Hodson in 1863 in the first known expedition into Lesotho. Hodson wasaccidentally shot and died during the trip, and the whole tragedy was kept a secret as to who-dun-it.So perhaps Tod can claim homicidal genes too. Yet another ancestor was professor of Englishliterature at Birmingham University, and his grandfather founded the Natal Mercury newspaper in1865.Being imbued with these literary and adventuring genes, he has a) written countless magazinearticles and five books, and b) climbed in Russia, the Alps, the Andes, New Zealand and had fiveexcursions to the Himalaya in Nepal. The Southern Drakensberg is his back yard.Tod is a member of the SAVA helpline for depression and suicide. He has received the SAVA KZNBranch's Stuart Downes Award for trying to put KZN vets in a good light in the eyes of the public,and the SAVA LHPG's Ricky Wilson Award for equally obscure reasons.He is on the shortlist for the RuVASA “Golden Gumnboot” award for having performed over amillion rectals, fertility tested over 2000 bulls, gelded over 500 unhandled stallions, had three bonesfractured in the line of duty, and cried with dozens of children after putting their horses to sleep.(Dogs, cats, hamsters and kangaroos too.)

The Role of the Veterinarian in providing meat safety assurances. Dr Gerhard Neethling Gerhard Neethling is a veterinarian with extensive experience in the field of Veterinary Public Health. He started his career as a veterinarian at an EU approved export abattoir. With the deregulation of the Meat industry, he joined the National Department of Agriculture in Training and International Liaison. He became Technical Manager of the Red Meat Abattoir Association in 1999 to establish an independent meat inspection service provider for the industry. He is the General Manager of the RMAA since 2004 and director of Abattoir Skill Training (AST). His talk will be focusing on the Role of the veterinarian in providing meat safety assurances and the key role of private veterinarians in providing meat safety assurances to the abattoir industry in South Africa in terms of the Meat Inspection Scheme

I am a farmer, philosopher and poet, an ultimate believer in Africa and its people. A keen student of nature, exponent of changing the life of smallholder farmers in Africa by empowering them with the principles of commercial agriculture. I am married to Karin, a lawyer, with two girls and a boy, residing in Tzaneen, Limpopo Province, SouthAfrica.

Dr Heinz Meissner, heads the Research and Development project of the organized Dairy Industry, through Milk SA, and also provides advice to the Red Meat Industry.

Dr Meissner provides major inputs into disciplines associated with more sustainable agricultural practices of ruminant livestock farming such as carbon emission reduction, animal health and welfare, AMR and rangeland management, and have published widely to that effect. In addition, based on substantial scientific evidence, he has showed the indispensable role of ruminants in the global economy and queried the notion that animal foods are detrimental to human health.

Global concerns will be addressed, to eventually answer the question: are the concerns justifiable, and if so, are they manageable. Within an environment where more sustainable production systems will be required to maintain environmental integrity, production efficiency and profitability, pro-active and preventative animal health management and alternative approaches to antimicrobial and drug therapy become imperative. These disciplines are becoming vital keys in the production and value chain and therefore should also become the approach in veterinary practices.

Gareth Bath had wide experience of most aspects of sheep and goat health and production since 1970 and has published extensively in scientific journals and other scientific publications including several books and chapters in books. He has delivered over 100 scientific addresses and over 20 papers at international conferences. Past service includes many posts up to President of the South African Veterinary Association, Chairman of SA Veterinary Foundation, Regional Representative of the Commonwealth Veterinary Association, Inaugural President of the International Sheep Veterinary Association, Convenor of the Small Stock Health Advisory Body, Chairman of the Livestock Welfare Coordinating Committee and others. Internationally he has made contributions in Namibia, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Ghana, Tunisia, Egypt, Italy, France, Greece, Britain, Norway, Belgium, India, Malaysia, Japan, Australia and New Zealand, as well as the United States of America. He has been involved in some major international projects involving parasite control, including those funded by the FAO and EU. From 2006 onwards he has been a foreign member of the ACSRPC and in 2008 was elected the first South African to join the European College of Small Ruminant Health Management, a specialist body. He is co-developer of the internationally acclaimed FAMACHA© system and the initiator of the FIVE POINT CHECK for the targeted selective treatment of small ruminants, as well as designing and promoting sustainable, holistic, integrated parasite management systems for sheep and goats farmers world-wide.

Dr Mark Chimes is a veterinarian that does dairy Farm audits for the Dairy Standard Agency of SA. In addition he works part time in a SPCA Veterinary Clinic and is also the editor of the Livestock Health and Production Review magazine. Dr Chimes is involved in compiling auditing standards to audit welfare and biosecurity standards on dairy farms. He audits 120+ dairy farms for regulatory compliance, on an annual basis, throughout South Africa.

There is an increasing public demand for ethically farmed livestock products. Veterinarians are seen as the custodians of animal welfare and therefor need to be pro-active in assisting farmers to address animal welfare issues. There is sufficient scientific proof that animal welfare is beneficial from both a production and profitability viewpoint. Dr Chimes will be presenting some of the researched proof that illustrates the benefit of animal welfare practices.

Dewald Olivier (LLB)(MBA)(M.Inst.D) currently the Executive Officer of the South African Feedlot Association (SAFA) motto in life is that everything stands on relationships. Whether you are in agriculture, construction, finance, retail or sport or whatever industry. Relationships are the building blocks of success and success is harnessing your relationships to create mutual value.

His talk will focus on the the whole process of the livestock identification and traceability system for SA with a specific reference to the key aspects of a functional and efficient system and the role we as veterinarians need to play in the successful role out of the program

Gerhard Verdoorn holds an MSc and PhD in synthetic organic chemistry from the University of Johannesburg. Director of the Griffon Poison Information Centre (GPIC), and Operations and Stewardship Manager of CropLife South Africa. Lectured organic chemistry and conservation biology at the University of Johannesburg for 15 years, was involved in the conservation arena on birds of prey, wildlife poisoning and predation management for 25 years and established the GPIC in 2003 to offer emergency advice on pesticide poisonings or disasters to industry, authorities and society. Currently managing all stewardship matters for CropLife SA and associated with Stellenbosch University's Chair in Plant Health and Department of Clinical Pharmacology. Assists the animal health industry in matters of mutual concern.

Roberto A. Palomares was born in Maracaibo, Venezuela. He got his DVM and MS degrees at the College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zulia, Venezuela, where he later became a faculty member. He practiced in commercial cattle farms across Zulia state. In 2012, Dr. Palomares certified in the American College of Theriogenologists and completed his PhD and Theriogenology residency programs at Auburn University, focusing on the prevention of respiratory and reproductive diseases. He is currently an Associate Professor at the College of Veterinary Medicine University of Georgia. His research focuses on prevention of infectious diseases that affect cattle production and reproduction. His research program also involves strategies to improve reproductive performance of cattle. He lends services on production medicine and theriogenology to beef and dairy farms across the state of Georgia and provides consulting to the veterinary pharmaceutical industry worldwide.

Dr Chris Van Dijk has worked for almost 40-years within the Private Practice, Public, and Corporate spheres. Beginning his career as a veterinarian and later as a veterinary. specialist in a veterinary practice; from 2000 he moved into the corporate arena with one of the leading Animal Health Companies in the world, servicing South and Central Africa.

In 2015, Dr Van Dijk joined Non-Profit Organisation, Milk Producers’ Organisation (MPO) South Africa, as Executive Head. His role at the MPO included engaging with stakeholders at prominent levels, driving the identification of value- adding products, services and research and development aligned to meet the needs of sector participants.

In 2021 he embarked on a new venture as a specialist veterinary consultant, consulting for the FAO, pharmaceutical companies, South African Veterinary Association, and various other groups.

Within the context of the AAMP & the Red Meat Industry Strategy 2030, the South African red meat & livestock industry has the potential to grow by more than 20% above a “business as usual” scenario, adding more than R 12 billion in real terms to South Africa’s agricultural GDP per annum by 2030.

Gerhard van der Burgh is a Research Associate at the Bureau for Food and Agricultural Policy (BFAP) as Programme Co-ordinator: Livestock and Resource Economics. His current position involves: technical and strategic resource planning within spatial (GIS) platforms, agro-economic value chains, farm-level economics and market analytics. He furthermore holds the position as the Managing Director for Integrated Value Information Systems (IVIS), integrating the agriculture sector though data science and systems integration. He completed his Master’s degree in Agricultural Economics at the University of Pretoria. He furthered course work for his Master’s degree at the University of Minnesota in the United States (2013). Gerhard remains involved in primary agriculture and he and his wife resides between Pretoria and their family-farm in the Free State, currently managed by his brother and father. He manages the finances, investments and marketing of agricultural produce.

• Chief Executive Officer National Red Meat Producers Organisation

• Chairperson National Animal Health Forum

• Board Member National Agricultural Marketing Council

• Vice-Chairperson Livestock Welfare Coordinating Committee

• Vice-Chairperson Red Meat Research and Development S.A.

• Executive Member of Red Meat Industry Forum

• Member Advisory Board Onderstepoort

• Part time beef farmer in the Free State

• MSc Agric Animal Science

• Married with 3 daughters

James Blignaut is currently member of the scientific panel of the World Farmers’ Organisation, professor extraordinaire attached to the SPL of the Stellenbosch University and honorary research associate of SAEON. He is also director of ASSET Research, Restore Africa Fund manager, and is the originator of ReStory.

Sven Parsons practiced as a clinical veterinarian before completing an MSc in Veterinary Tropical Diseases at Onderstepoort and a PhD in Medical Biochemistry at Stellenbosch University (SU). For the past 11 years he has worked as an academic researcher at SU and has co-authored 65 peer-reviewed articles, primarily on the aetiology, epidemiology and diagnosis of TB in a wide variety of domestic and wildlife species. He has recently been appointed as the Research and Development Manager at Afrivet Business Management.

Dr Paul van der Merwe, the President of SAVA and chairperson of the One Health/Disaster Committee of SAVA qualified as a veterinarian in 1986. He joined the Defence Force in 1986 and progressed through the ranks to Colonel. He was appointed as the Director Animal Health of the Defence Force in 2004 and held the position till his retirement in March 2022. He obtained a BVSc (Hons) degree in Veterinary Physiology and an MMedVet in Wildlife Diseases. He is a consultant to the OIE on Disaster Management, Ecohealth Alliance on One Health and the University of Pretoria, Faculty Veterinary Science on the establishment of a Pandemic Prevention and Preparedness Institute. He is involved in Post Graduate training in Disaster Management. Dr van der Merwe is intimately involved in One Health for the past couple of years being a member of the One Health Forum of South Africa and the chairperson of SAVA’s One Health/Disaster Management committee. He is currently drafting a One Health scoping report for South Africa that could be used as a guideline to implement One Health in South Africa.

One-Health is an integrated, unifying approach that aims to sustainably balance and optimise the health of people, animals and ecosystems. It recognises the health of humans, domestic and wild animals, plants, and the wider environment (including ecosystems) are closely linked and interdependent. The approach mobilises multiple sectors, disciplines, and communities at varying levels of society to work together to foster wellbeing and challenge threats to health and ecosystems while addressing the collective need for clean water, energy and air, safe and nutritious food, taking action on climate change, and contributing to sustainable development. (OHLEPP 2021). But why One Health? What is the motivation basis of this concept and how does it connect to ruminants? One Health is a mindset and if the motivational basis of One Health is not understood, people will not support it.

Dr Danie Odendaal has spend most of his veterinary professional career in the development of the methodology of planned disease management and prevention, for improvement of extensive livestock production.

His passion: To make use of the expansive body of veterinary knowledge available on the subjects of livestock health and production and transform this into understandable material for the teaching of veterinary students, veterinarians, animal health technicians, community based health workers and livestock farmers.

Mega-trends are at the same time widening, intertwining and escalating technology, service and product delivery while creating surprising and disruptive opportunities and threats for veterinarians. Events unfold in unexpected ways and it is becoming impossible to determine cause and effect any more. Historical forecasts and past experiences are losing their relevance and are rarely applicable as a basis for prediction. The problems we need to solve are more complex than ever and their repercussions are more multi-layered and harder to understand. A “wicked” world is emerging where fake news and social-media-science flourish and makes it extremely difficult to stay ahead as the professional and sane “beacon of knowledge”. This talk will give some guidance as to how the veterinary professional of the future can manage sustainably in a VUCA world where constant change is driven by volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity.

Dr du Preez is currently heading up Future Business Development for Afrivet. Since submitting his MBA thesis on “The Professionalism of the Veterinary Profession in South Africa in the Context of Entrepremeurship” in 2003, Dr du Preez has studied professionalism and the possible effect of future fourth industrial developments and mega-trends on the veterinary profession. Dr du Preez has presented over fourty talks and key-note addresses on these topics, to veterinary and other professional body congresses, both locally and internationally over the last 15 years.

I am a vet. Qualified in 1990. Completed all post grad studies in 1997. Currently consulting to over 80 feedlots small and large. Have extensively involved in student training

Member of RUVASA the AABP and the academy of veterinary consultants. The second vet outside of the USA to be invited to join the production animal consulting franchise

Jompie Burger holds degrees in environmental health sciences and public administration with over 30 years’ experience in the South African dairy regulatory and food safety disciplines.He is the Managing Director of the Dairy Standard Agency (DSA) of South Africa, serves on various industry technical committees including the South African Bureau of Standards (SABS) standing committees.

He serves as technical secretary of the SA National Committee of the International Dairy Federation (IDF) and on Standing Committees of the IDF.

He serves on the African Organisation for Standardisation TC 04 Milk and Milk Products. Also serves as the project manager of the Milk South Africa Regulations and Standards Project and animal welfare regulatory matters. The DSA is an independent non-profit organisation which primary objective is to promote the improvement dairy quality (product composition), food safety and metrology compliance in the interest of the dairy industry and the consumer.

Dr Chantelle Erwee. Dr Chantelle Erwee works as a Technical Manager in the Ruminants section at Zoetis since 2016, where she is responsible for the Dairy, Reproduction and Small Stock portfolios. Her responsibilities include providing technical support and training. Dr Erwee was trained on genomics in Kalamazoo, Michigan during 2019 to head up the technical aspects of the Zoetis genomic portfolio for dairy cattle. Dr Erwee’s presentation will focus on how genomics is being applied in a practical way on dairy farms in South Africa, helping dairy farmers build a herd that is productive, fertile, long-lived, healthy, and profitable in the long run – in other words, more sustainable. It is important to understand the latest innovations and technologies used by dairy farmers if we want to be an integral and sustainable part of these herds as veterinarians. Her topic is “The practical application and benefits of genomic testing”

BSc Agric (Hons) General Manager at NWGA

Dr Mackie Hobson, a vet based in Graaff- Reinet, serves as the dedicated mohair industry vet.

Johann Muller is a qualified Veterinary technologist by training. Currently he is the business unit manager for PathCare Laboratories one of the largest pathology groups in South Africa. His professional work experiences include working as General and operations manager for IDEXX Laboratories Southern Africa as well as Managing and co-owning Golden Vetlab for many years. He has been actively involved in Laboratory diagnostics for the past 37 years.

The one thing that is consistent in life is change. Veterinary professionals are dealing with constant change every day. Change is not to be feared but we need to be cognisant of the changes in our work environment and how this will affect our approach when making a diagnosis or deciding on a treatment regime. These changes heading our way is mostly technology driven. The fact that information is freely available everywhere tend to complicate our approach to a diagnosis.

With this in mind and to maintain a sustainable veterinary service, we would need to align ourselves with the new challenges and demands that will be directed our way and identify some of the adaptations required to make as clients expect this from us. In his talk he will share with veterinarians what the future holds for Veterinary practice from a diagnostic perspective.

My name is Adriaan van der Westhuizen. I grew up on a dairy farm near Standerton. My grandfather was a veterinary technician and I developed an interest in animal healthcare through working with him on the farm. I started studying veterinary science in 2016 and qualified from Onderstepoort last year. I got involved in the TrichLabCheck project in my final year. I am currently doing my CCS year at the Agricultural Research Counsel – Irene and I am learning so much and enjoying every day there. I enjoy farming, I find it fulfilling and humbling. I invest my spare time in my small Simbra herd and recently started off with some sheep on our farm. Although I haven’t been part of the veterinary profession for long, I enjoy it and it is my passion and strive to own a mixed practice one day.

James is the Chairman of the Red Meat Producers Organisation (RPO) and a cattle farmer in the district of Barkly West

Mr. Francois Knowles is the CEO (Registrar) of the Agricultural Produce Agents Council (APAC). The objective of APAC as a self-sustaining regulatory body, is to regulate and manage the occupations of fresh produce, export and livestock agents in South Africa. This industry is worth more than R130 Billion per year.

As a qualified Work Study Practitioner, he also has qualifications in marketing, economics, accounting, and operational management which includes a master’s degree at the University of Pretoria with research that focused on Sustainable Integrated Environmental Management in agriculture. His work and research, published in Europe, still serve as guideline for the World Union of Wholesale Markets. His bucket list contains that elusive PhD but he says, “that this has to wait as his current positions demands to much of his time and focus whilst he travels extensively”. He has great passion for his family, his profession and the people in agriculture that he works with

Foot and Mouth Disease Forum

Quinton Coetzee is an international speaker, entrepreneur, naturalist and adventurer with a deep passion for wild things and wild places.

Raised on the fringes of the Namib Desert, he has spent most of his life living close to nature in the African bush. He is today, considered one of Southern Africa’s leading bush-craft specialists.

From the bitter cold of sub-Antarctica, the scorching deserts of the Middle-East and the highest ice-peaks in Russia, he has spent time with ‘vanishing’ tribes in Africa, in the frozen wastelands of Outer Mongolia and in the sweltering jungles of the Amazon basin.

As a Director of one of the largest Zoological Gardens in Africa, he was committed to the conservation and breeding of endangered species from around the world.

Quinton is a frequent resource in print and on radio. He is well known as a television presenter of popular wildlife programs including “Aardwolf” and 50/50 “Veldfocus”. He is also a classical pianist.

His talks inspire people to tap into their natural potential, to improve their business skills and performance, and to gain a better understanding of themselves and others.

Quinton has been inducted into the PSASA Hall Of Fame.

“Coetzee is in a class by himself, probably the most sought-after South African speaker.”

Los Angeles Times

“Absolutely brilliant – one of the best speakers I have ever heard – and I have heard many!”

Dr S.G. (United Kingdom), Vice President, ORACLE – Europe, Middle East, Africa