On 1 June 2017, the Sernick Group appointed Phillip Oosthuizen as Head of Research and Economics. In this new role, Oosthuizen’s primary objective will be to improve the various processes and products in the Group’s value chain by incorporating research results and innovative ideas. This will be done by focusing on the economic analyses of current and future divisions, processes and projects, the planning, operating and analysis of data and implementing future research.

Nick Serfontein, chairman of the Sernick Group saw the opportunity to better understand the mechanics in the feedlot from a scientific point of view and granted Oosthuizen and the University of Free State the opportunity to establish a feedlot experiment on Sernick’s premises in 2015. Serfontein’s sentiment has always been that ‘you can’t manage what you don’t understand; you can’t understand what you don’t measure; what you don’t measure you can’t control’.

During 2016 Veeplaas exclusively published the findings on the feedlot experiment conducted by Oosthuizen and the University of the Free State – a topic that has garnered much debate among organizations and individuals on various levels. Such specific measurements would ideally play a significant role in the profitability of a feedlot as well as the marketability of a specific breed.

Oosthuizen who pioneered the study, begun his tertiary education at the University of the Free State after matriculating from Voortrekker High School in Bethlehem. After completing his BSc in Animal Science and Agricultural Economics in 2013 he went on to acquire his honors and in 2015 he enrolled to obtain his Masters in Agricultural Economics.

Oosthuizen’s study aimed to determine the profit maximizing feeding period for different breeds of beef cattle in the feed lot. The data acquired was analyzed and used to improve precision farming which in turn improved feedlot profitability.

Aside from his duties as Head of Research and Economics, Oosthuizen will continue his studies and work towards completing his doctorate. “My thesis is still in the planning phase, but the studies’ objectives will be finalized soon. The current draft includes determining the optimal feeding period for different breed of beef cattle fed different feed rations in terms of energy and roughage content. Additionally, fat deposition, ultra-sound scanning, carcass grading, carcass cut analyses and meat quality will be done to incorporate into the model and the study.”

Serfontein motivates Oosthuizen’s appointment by quoting Edmund Burke’s statement that “you can never plan the future by the past” and believes that the appointment of Oosthuizen will enable the Sernick Group to continuously challenge the status quo to set new measures.