When entering farm Bloemendal and stopping in front of the neat, impressive Dalein Group office, you realise that this company reeps the benefits from the care and thoroughness on which it was built. In the early eighties, Andreas Dalein Heyl moved his operations to this farm which is just a stone throw northeast of Pretoria in South Africa.

Today, the Dalein Group exists of Dalein Plaasbou, Dalein Estates, Dalein Agriplan, Dalein Feed and Dalein Lazerpro, but it is particularly the pig industry that has benefited from Dalein Heyl’s contribution over the past 41 years.

After obtaining his agricultural engineering degree in 1963 and his master’s degree in 1964 at the University of Pretoria, he started working at the Department of Agriculture in the Agricultural Engineering Department. He became a specialist in intensive animal housing feedlots in the pig and dairy sectors and he visited Scotland, England and Germany to broaden his knowledge.

Dalein resigned from the public sector in 1976, and this was the birth year of Dalein Plaasbou, flowing from his particular interest in and know-ledge of pig housing. He has applied his many years of experience to the industry in the manufacture of equipment and housing for the pig industry. It was also the foundation from which he expanded to other business ventures. His distinctive flat roof houses are cost effective and provide excellent ventilation. Moreover, they are durable – those built in the early years still stand firmly today. This type of housing is still very popular.

Any new venture requires hard work and perseverance, of which Dalein always had enough. In the early years he was the chief executive officer, financial manager, engineer, draughtsman, factory manager, driver and constructor.

The first major contract he attained was Belhuit Investments, after which he erected pig housing for Basie Snyman, Jan Greyling and Filters and Volkers. After Dalein Plaasbou built Kanhym’s piggeries in the 1980s, his reputation rapidly earned him more contracts. After the big project, he could also buy his first truck, which expedited his business.

Dalein Estates was his next brainchild and he kicked off with a 300-sow unit – after all, he could now live his interest. His next dream was a feed factory, but it required a lot of research. He made plans to gain access to existing feed factories to broaden his knowledge.

In the early 1990’s, Dalein put his feed dreams into action, and Dalein Feeds was established. It was so successful that he launched another company, Dalein Agriplan, which designed and built Alexcor, a feed factory in Alexander Bay on the north western tip of South Africa. After that, Ibis Piggery and Penvaan Feeds followed. Today, Dalein Agriplan is world renowned and an excellent example of African quality and workmanship.

Dalein believes that African farmers should use quality equipment and avoid the cheap alternatives from the east.

Management and nutrition should be at the top of their priority list and urgent attention must be given to proper breeding material. Farmers must realise that the interests of the pig industry are in their hands and they must take the control from the retailers’ hands. According to Dalein, farms are getting bigger and farmers must prepare for farms with 20 000 to 50 000 sows where they process the meat and focus on exports themselves.

Twenty years ago, Dalein wrote a report, “SA Pork for Export”, emphasizing the importance of exports to China in co-operation with the government. It is becoming a reality. Dalein Heyl is still a pig farmer and he believes he will continue to be one as long as he can. His son, Stephan, is in charge of the company today.

Contact Dalein at +27(0)12-819-8500, +27(0)71-936-9311 or e-mail plaasbou@dalein.co.za, collin@dalein.co.za Also visit their comprehensive website at www.dalein-plaasbou.co.za.

Andreas Dalein Heyl can rightly be regarded as the father of pig housing equipment in South Africa.

Dalein Plaasbou also looks at Zambia to expand their markets. Collin Nel is their African representative. Here he is with Quintus Grobler of ProAgri at Dalein’s exhibition during the recent Agritech show.