About Us
How we started
We have been farming on the farm Bronkhorstfontein near Heilbron in the northern region of the Free State province in South Africa since 1986.
The farm Bronkhorstfontein has been in the family for over seven decades and remains the core of all activities and divisions of the modernised farming business. INOVULA (Pty) Ltd owns and manages the Spitsvuur Holsteins herd and dairy, and general farming enterprise with Jaco Hendriks as CEO steering the craft and Dr Kobus Hendriks, as deputy managing director.
Business philosophy
To scientifically develop what is entrusted to us and manage it according to Christian principles so that it can be a pride and credit to all involved in the farming enterprise.
The shareholders of INOVULA (Pty) Ltd strive to run all farming activities at an exemplary level, and play a practical leadership role in the local and national farming community towards greater productivity and overall well-being.
Our Mission & Vision
To optimally utilise production factors such as land, labour, management expertise, etc, to generate maximum profit, growth and an improved living standard to all involved in the farming activities. To act as stewards in conserving and developing that which has been entrusted to us to the glory of our Heavenly Father.
The current status of the farming enterprise
Ownership – INOVULA (Pty) LTD
INOVULA (Pty) Ltd is the company within which all farming activities are managed,
with ownership of all loose assets and the farm Langverwacht.
The shareholders of Inovula are the following:
THE KOBUS HENDRIKS FAMILY TRUST
Owner of Bronkhorstfontein, Boetelfontein, Grasvlei and Berlyn.
THE KUILFONTEIN TRUST
Owner of Brakfontein and Kromkuil.
THE KOBUS HENDRIKS BESTUURSTRUST
DR KOBUS HENDRIKS
INOVULA
Management
Dr Kobus Hendriks – Deputy CEO
Jaco Hendriks – CEO
Belinda Hendriks
Dairy Manager
Belinda started her career after finishing matric in retail management. She worked for 15 years in senior management positions, until she joined her parents on their family farm. Belinda operated her own dairy from 1995 to 2004 on Welverdiend at Meyerton. She joined Inovula in December 2005 as assistant dairy manager. Belinda was appointed as Dairy manager in Sept 2015. She oversees and manages all dairy activities, human resources and payroll.
Willem Cronje
Workshop Manager
Willem started his auto mechanic training at Mercedes Benz, Welkom in 1977. After two years of military service (1979-1981) at 1 Parachute Battalion, he attended technical college in Bloemfontein and qualified as an auto mechanic in 1982. Willem has 20 years’ work experience at Mercedes Benz, followed by 15 years on Man and Nissan trucks. He joins INOVULA in February 2018 as workshop manager and diesel mechanic.
Henriko Strydom
Junior Production Manager
After completing school, Henriko Strydom gained animal handling, management and behavioral experience at Derdepoort game farms Thabazimbi. Henriko completed an informal agricultural course (crops, planting and harvesting) at Louma Farms Thabazimbi in 2016 where he was employed as general farm manager. Henriko joined Inovula in May 2017 as junior production manager.
Management Acumen
The management and professional acumen of Dr Hendriks as veterinary surgeon greatly benefited the enterprise. He was involved in private practice for many years and specialised in herd work. As pioneer in the field of embryo transfers, he had some of the most prominent herds in the country as clients. As partner in the Kroonstad Animal Hospital he was tasked with managing financial matters.
He grew up on Bronkhorstfontein and assisted his father on the farm as adviser for the dairy, up until his father’s death in 1986, when he took over and started farming full-time. Dr Kobus Hendriks has served on the Board of Directors of NCD, now Clover Industries, (from 1991 till 2014) and gained invaluable experience of the business world in this capacity.
Jaco took up the reigns of Inovula early in 2015 as CEO from his father Dr. Kobus Hendriks. Jaco Hendriks (3rd generation Hendriks on the farm), also grew up on Bronkhorstfontein.
Over eleven years, after completing his Business Management degree in 2004, Jaco gained valuable experience in the corporate environment. He was involved in large companies (Transnet, Coca Cola and Anglo American) with organisational restructuring, design and modular training material development and implementation.
Tlalane Ramasedi
Assistant Admin & Human Resources Manager
Seabata Mokoena
Dairy Foreman
Kamoho Mokoena
Farm Foreman
Motena Moekoena
Feed Division Foreman
Accolades and achievements
|
1989 |
Conservation Farmer of the Year. |
|
1991 |
Dr Hendriks sold his Red Angus herd and bought controlling stakes in the Spitsvuur Holstein herd. |
|
1991 tot 2003 |
Master Dairyman of the Free State each year for 12 consecutive years. |
|
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Through large-scale embryo transfers, the Spitsvuur Holstein herd has grown into the finest herd in the country, genetically speaking. |
|
1992 |
Free State Farmer of the Year, awarded by the Agricultural Writers’ Association of South Africa. |
|
1998, 1999, 2000 and 2007 |
The SA Holstein Society awarded the Spitsvuur Holstein herd the Highest Breeding Value Index in South Africa Award, calculated according to best linear unbiased prediction (BLUP) analyses. |
|
1998 |
Senior winner in the National Cooperative Dairies (NCD) Farmer of the Forthcoming Millennium competition. |
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1998 |
The Heilbron District Agricultural Union, the local farming community of which Dr Hendriks has been a member since 1990, honoured him with a merit award for Many years of outstanding contributions to the agricultural community of Heilbron. |
|
2001 |
Farmer of the Central Region, awarded by the Agricultural Writers’ Association |
|
2001 |
National Farmer of the Year, awarded by the Agricultural Writers’ Association. |
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2003 |
Southern African Dairy Stud Breeder of the Year. The Spitsvuur Holstein herd has earned the award for the highest or second highest milk production in SA for several years. |
|
2009 |
Master Dairyman of the Free State. Later that year, Spitsvuur Holsteins became the first herd in the country to have the DNA of 352 cows and 150 bulls extracted to get genomic analyses and forecasts of the animals. According to experts, genomics was a greater breakthrough than when artificial insemination was first performed. Own genomically tested bulls are used in the Spitsvuur Holstein herd at a large scale, with excellent results. Young bulls and heifers are being tested genomically continuously. |
|
2010 |
Highest milk production in SA (according to ARC numbers): Over 305 days, 13 864 kg milk was produced with 506 kg butterfat (3,65%) and 441 kg protein (3,18%) with an inter-calving period of 462 days. With this achievement Spitsvuur Holsteins received seven accolades: five first places, one second and one third place. |
|
2012 |
National Master Dairyman of the Year. |
|
2014 |
Obtained a record selling price of R200 000 for a genomically tested Holstein bull from the Monica family, Spitsvuur Spits-Superstar A1826. |
|
2014 |
Dr Hendriks received a special award from the Milk Producers’ Organisation (MPO) for his contribution to Excellence in the Dairy Industry, to celebrate guidance and selfless sacrifice to the benefit of the dairy industry. |
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2015 |
Master Dairyman of the Free State. |
|
2015 |
Featured as a mega farmer in the first series of the popular KykNet television programme, Megaboere. |
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2016 |
In the June edition of Dairy Mail it was announced that Inovula’s Spitsvuur Holstein herd, was ranked eleventh the world, with its average milk production per 305-day lactations, percentage butterfat and percentage protein. |
|
2016 |
At its Elite Dairyman Awards, SA Studbook singled out Inovula’s Spitsvuur Holstein herd as the Holstein Herd (i) with the Best Functional Herd Life, (ii) the Highest Genetic Level. The Herd was also awarded an Elite Golden Award, which allowed Dr Hendriks to qualify as a finalist for the National Elite Dairyman 2016 Award. |
|
2016 |
Inovula won the Kwagga Farmer’s Floating Trophy for the Highest Production of Fat-corrected Milk per day of Calving Interval in South Africa. |
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2017 |
Inovula’s Spitsvuur Holstein herd was named Elite Best Genetic Dairy Herd in the Free State as well as South Africa and was also named Free State Elite Dairy Herd. |
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2018 |
Elite Best Genetic Dairy Herd in South Africa. |
|
2019 |
SA Studbook identified Dr Hendriks as Elite Dairyman of the Free State at its Elite Dairyman Awards and named Inovula’s Spitsvuur Holsteins the Holstein Herd (i) with the Best Functional Herd Life, (ii) at the Highest Genetic Level. |
|
2020 |
The Logix production summary of Spitsvuur Holsteins exceeded all expectations with its results for February: Herd average: 563 cows; lactations: 305 days; milk: 14 074kg; butterfat: 503 kg; protein: 432 kg; butterfat + protein: 935 kg; butterfat: 3.58%; and protein: 3,07%. |
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2020 |
Inovula was nominated Dairy Breed Finalist for the SA Studbook Stud Herd of the Year.
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Farming divisions
Main division: Dairy and Spitsvuur Holsteins stud:
Holstein stud of 1036 female animals of which 547 cows are currently in milk
Genomically tested bulls for semen collection – 24
Slaughter bulls in herd and feeding lot – 145
Secondary animal farming divisions:
307 cows and heifers, mainly Angus, that serve as carriers for Spitsvuur embryos
SA Meat Merino commercial herd consists of 1019 ewes
Two service seasons
Weaner lambs to feeding lot and sold as slaughter lambs
Crop and feed production division:
INOVULA takes up the challenges of the 21st century and has a management team that faces the future with a positive attitude and eyes focused upwards. The enterprise is well-structured for the future and would like to be part of the new South Africa.