21/10/2026
Dan Kriek, general manager of the NWGA, discussed South Africa’s communal flock as the Dohne Merino breed’s next great market during the 2026 Dohne Merino World Conference this morning.
He said commercial producers do not think of themselves as being involved in politics, but they are involved in the politics of developing the South African agricultural sector. “You are involved in the politics of developing communal producers, an area where we have huge poverty.”
He said the Dohne Merino Breeders’ Society can make a difference. The NWGA needs the society as a development partner to build this sector. The communal producers are highly organised, but they need assistance. There are more than 45 000 communal producers with an estimate of two to three million sheep.
According to Kriek, there is room to grow. Meat production remains underdeveloped, and wool production has considerable scope for improvement in both quality and quantity. The Dohne Merino’s dual-purpose qualities make the breed a natural fit for growth in this sector.
Kriek invited the Dohne Merino Breeders’ Society to work with the NWGA to supply rams to communal flocks, mentor and partner with communal ram breeders in the Eastern Cape Stud Breeding Project, form a joint society and NWGA working group, use flock competitions as the shared platform, and measure and adjust through Cape Wools SA data.
Plaas Media BKB Dohne Merino Cape Wools SA Elanco South Africa Virbac South Africa Farm Voermol Feeds SA Molatek Overberg Agri Hollard SA Stud Book / SA Stamboek OVK
