In the remote rangelands of northeastern Namibia, a pioneering operation is reshaping the future of sustainable cattle breeding across Southern Africa.
For 11 years, one of Africa’s largest Brahman studs, Okabra Brahman and Simmentaler, has been quietly leading a revolution in feed efficiency testing. Established as a joint venture with fellow producer and Brahman breeder, Ebbi Fischer in 2014, the Schneider family’s GenTecSol feed efficiency test station has evaluated more than 3500 bulls from six to seven different breeds, making it the first net feed intake system established on the African continent.
Feed efficiency at Okabra
In one of Africa’s most challenging cattle production environments, investing in feed efficiency technology has been transformative for the Schneider family’s operation. Located 500 kilometres northeast of Windhoek, Namibia’s capital, Okabra operates in a landscape that receives between 280-700 millimetres of annual rainfall, with an average mean rainfall of about 350 mm, where every resource must be optimised.
“If we could have cattle which are twice as efficient, I could either stock double the rate which I’m stocking now, or I could survive a drought much easier, because then I only need half the fodder,” explains Mecki Schneider, who has been breeding cattle on Farm Okamutombe since 1986.
The operation installed a GrowSafe system, the technology that would later become Vytelle SENSE™, and established testing protocols that could accommodate 96 bulls per round. Today, that same proprietary individual animal data capture system records feed intake and in-pen weight gain measurements, automatically communicating data for processing with Calgary in Canada and the monthly evaluation of estimated breeding values (EBVs) with the BREEDPLAN performance recording system in Armidale, Australia. Mecki adds, “We chose Vytelle because of the quality of the individual data and remote customer service that they provide. These are critical points operating in our environment to ensure delivering the most accurate phenotype for selection decisions”.
Economic and environmental imperatives
For Okabra, the drivers behind feed efficiency testing are twofold: economic sustainability and environmental responsibility. As seedstock producers supplying genetics to commercial operations across Southern Africa, the Schneiders recognised that feed represents the highest cost in feedlot operations as well as the use of rangelands, which are also an expensive asset. By producing more feed-efficient bulls, they’re directly impacting their clients’ profitability.
“Those guys buying the bulls, they do pay much more attention now to also get good bulls with that superior net-feed-intake trait,” notes Mecki. “So they will pay more for a bull with good net feed intake.”
Beyond feedlot economics, the environmental benefits are substantial. Studies suggest that there are up to 35% less methane emissions per kilogram of beef from feed-efficient cattle, a critical consideration as Namibia exports beef to the European Union, where environmental consciousness drives consumer choices.
Namibia holds a unique position as one of the few African nations authorised to export beef to European markets, thanks to rigorous traceability systems, RFID technology, and a disease-free status maintained since the 1960s. This access to premium markets makes environmental credentials increasingly valuable.
Integration with global breeding systems
Okabra’s commitment to data-driven selection extends beyond their test station. Through the Beef Genomics Program, developed in partnership with the Livestock Registration Federation (LRF, an umbrella organisation of various cattle breeds) , all bulls are now genotyped and linked to BreedPlan, Australia’s Agricultural Business Research Institute system. This integration allows ABRI to calculate breeding values for net feed intake: values that now extend to most of Okabra’s breeding cows, even those never physically tested. The Beef Genomics Program incorporates genomic information (or simply DNA) of individual cattle to assist genomically enhanced breeding values – GEBVs.
“We are focused on feed efficiency,” says Mecki. “And at the moment in our breeding objectives we are mainly focused on fertility, on the fat traits, as well as the net feed intake trait.”
The results speak volumes. In Vytelle’s 2024 publication of the top 150 bulls for net feed intake globally, a list dominated by Angus cattle, three bulls used in Okabra’s herd ranked 56th, 74th, and 116th. They were the only Brahman bulls featured amongst predominantly Limousin and Angus genetics.
“We are quite proud of that, that we are part of that bigger picture,” Mecki reflects. “And we are using these bulls now also in our herds, and we are already using the next generation sires of those bulls to improve the feed efficiency trait in our herd.”
Advantages for the Rangelands climate
While feed efficiency testing occurs in a feedlot-style environment, research demonstrates strong correlations between performance in test stations and suitability of cattle for rangeland conditions. For Okabra, which runs cattle entirely on rangelands rather than finishing them in feedlots, this translates to more resilient animals capable of thriving on less.
“Net feed intake on the rangelands means that they can be more hardy, that they can live from less and they can produce from less,” explains Mecki.
This adaptation is particularly crucial for Okabra’s breeding philosophy, which focuses on selecting cattle that can remain productive under extensive grazing conditions. The goal isn’t simply efficient bulls, it’s building complete herds where every animal contributes to sustainability.
