453 ha Farm in Somerset East

An easily manageable property with 11 hectares of irrigation on the open Plains of Camdeboo ideal for an intensive agricultural enterprise, a livestock stud, game farming, or for lambing, kidding and/or crop production as an add-on to an existing farming enterprise. The property is easily accessible and secure.

LOCATION: 20 km from Pearston

SIZE: 453.9780 ha

CARRYING CAPACITY: 18 ha / Large Stock Unit Govt. Assessment 2018

ANNUAL RAINFALL: 180 mm (predominantly summer rainfall)

TOPOGRAPHY & GEOLOGY: The property is situated on mostly open country and is in the shape of a wide and flat V or chevron. The farm is centrally bisected by the north-south running Voëlrivier which runs for 2.25 km through the property. The lowest point on the property of 580 m ASL is on the southern boundary in the Voëlrivier riverbed. The highest point of 665 m ASL is situated on the extreme north-eastern boundary. Wildebeeskop, a low flat-topped hill IS situated 840 m west of the river. A good deposit of fertile alluvial clays and silts are to be found adjacent to the Voëlrivier while the rest of the property consists of shallower sedimentary soils typical of the Karoo on the open undulating plains with a few low shale ridges, and a few leegtes with deeper soils.

VEGETATION: Typical of the Nama-Karoo, Lower Karoo Bioregion and dominated by dwarf and succulent Karoo shrubs, riverine thicket along the river, and other larger shrubs and trees with a good grass cover in season.

Common grass species include Quick Grass (Cynodon dactylon), Carrot-seed Grass (Tragus berteronianus), with palatable broad bladed grasses along the water courses and under larger shrubs and trees. Common dwarf shrubs include Anchor Karoo Bush (Pentzia incana), Kapokbos (Eriocephalus africanus), Waterfinder (Walafrida geniculata), Persbergdraaibos (Feclicia filifolia), and Bokrambos (Asteospermum leptolobum). Common succulents include Bitter Aloe (Aloe ferox), Coral Aloe (Aloe striata), Noorsdoring (Euphorbia ferox), Vingerpol (Euphorbia esculenta), Copper Vygie (Malephora crocea), and Thorn Vygie (Ruschia intricata). Larger shrubs include Karoo Crossberry (Grewia robusta), Wild Pomegranate (Rhigozum obovatum). Rivierganna (Salsola aphylla), and Rooilloodganna (Salsola calluna). Common trees include Wolwedoring (Lycium oxycarpum), Spike Thorn (Gymnosporia buxifolia), Kuni Bush (Searsia burchellii), Karoo Shepherds Tree (Boscia Oleoides), Jacket Plum (Pappea capensis), and Sweet Thorn, (Vachellia karoo).

FARM INFRASTRUCTURE: The farm is divided into 6 camps, three of which are fully enclosed with high game fencing, as are all the lucerne lands. The remaining three camps are partially enclosed by game fencing. Rudimentary small-stock handling facilities are situated near to the homestead. All the fencing and gates etc. are in a reasonably good state of repair. A network of roads provide reasonable access to all the camps.

WATER SUPPLY: There are five boreholes on the farm, one has a windmill and the remaining four are fitted with submersible pumps. The house borehole has a 1.5 kW pump supplying 4,000 litres per hour while the three irrigation boreholes have 5.5 kW pumps producing 15,000 litres per hour each. The Voëlrivier not only flows strongly after rain in the catchment area, but also retains large pools of water for an extended time thereafter. In addition the property has a number of earth dams, the two largest of which are to be found near the western and eastern extremities of the property.

IRRIGATION: 11 ha of lucerne under Permaset irrigation and enclosed with high Kudu fencing.

HOMESTEAD: The mid-20th century homestead of 250 m2 has four bedrooms, a modern tiled bathroom with bath and shower, a large open-plan lounge-dining room with air-conditioning, a spacious farm style kitchen with ample built-in cupboards, a laundry room, and a stoep on the western faade. The house has solid wooden floors with attractive Oregon pine in all but two of the rooms. The low-pitched roof is of corrugated-iron, and all the window frames are steel. The lounge-dining room has air-conditioning, and in the passage are large built-in linen cupboards. A nearby roofed lapa with a braai and roll down canvas blinds is ideal for entertaining.

OUTBUILDINGS: Adjacent to the house is a three bay carport of steel construction with a concrete floor and IBR roof sheeting. The nearby 75 m2 workshop has sliding doors for vehicle access, and an adjoining double dormitory with toilet which is currently utilised for storage. Another outbuilding contains a walk-in cold-room, a small butchery, and a modern tiled bathroom with a shower. On the other side of the stock-handling facilities is a newly built 180 m2 corrugated iron shed which can be used for implement and tractor parking, shearing and lucerne storage. The clinker brick staff cottage of 40 m2 has four rooms and a corrugated iron roof.

POWER: Eskom

LIVESTOCK & GAME: Currently carrying 500 Angora goats and 250 Merino ewes, and naturally occurring game including Kudu, Springbok, Duiker and Steenbok etc.