The Milk Producers’ Organisation (MPO) is a representative producers organisation focused on serving the primary sectorÂ
of the South African dairy industry, through a range of supportive services which enables the dairy farmers to build
profitable, sustainable, and competitive businesses.
Fanie Ferreira has dedicated over 34 years to the dairy industry, demonstrating steadfast leadership and commitment to its growth and development. In 2015, Fanie was elected Chairman of the Milk Producers’ Organisation (MPO) Free State, marking the beginning of his national contributions as a member of the MPO National Board of Directors.
In 2019, he advanced to the position of Chairman of MPO North, representing the entire inland region of South Africa on the MPO Board. Beyond his role at the MPO, Fanie contributed to the broader agricultural sector by serving on the Executive Management team of Free State Agriculture from 2018 to 2021.
In 2021, Fanie was appointed Acting Chief Executive Officer of the MPO, where he successfully steered the organisation through a critical restructuring process. During this time, he also assumed key leadership roles as a Director on the Boards of the Dairy Standards Agency and Milk SA. He additionally represents the primary agricultural industry on the National Animal Health Forum (NAHF) and the Livestock Welfare Coordinating Committee, advocating for critical issues related to animal health and welfare.
In recognition of his exceptional leadership, Fanie’s appointment as the CEO of the MPO was made permanent in October 2022. His extensive experience and strategic vision continue to guide the organisation in advancing the interests of South African milk producers.
Dr. Paolo Fantinati is an experienced veterinarian with a focus on swine and ruminant pathology, endocrinology, and nutrition. He holds a Ph.D. in Endocrinology of Domestic Animals from the University of Bologna and has completed a specialization in Swine Pathology at the University of Milan. With over two decades of professional experience, Dr. Fantinati has held key positions in prominent companies, including his current role as Head of EU Technical Services and Ruminant Specialist at Novonesis. He has also worked at Chr. Hansen, Biomin GmbH, and Vetagro International, providing technical expertise and leadership in ruminant health, feed additives, and sustainable livestock management.
Dr. Fantinati has contributed significantly to the scientific community with numerous publications in national and international journals. His research focuses on topics such as mycotoxins, energy efficiency in milk production, and the effects of microencapsulated sodium selenite supplementation in dairy cows. He is also a regular contributor to Italian farming magazines, with over 150 technical articles. In addition to his research, he has taught at the University of Bologna and has been involved in several training programs and courses, furthering his expertise in veterinary biotechnology and ruminant health.
Recognized for his academic and professional achievements, Dr. Fantinati has received several awards, including the Rotary Award for Best Graduated Student in Veterinary Medicine and the Lanfranchi and Albino Messieri Awards for his exceptional performance in clinical veterinary studies. He is an active member of several scientific societies, including the Italian Society of Large Animal Veterinarians (S.I.V.A.R.) and the American Dairy Science Association (A.D.S.A.). His ongoing professional development, through courses on dairy production, customer management, and nutrition, reflects his commitment to advancing veterinary practices and improving livestock management worldwide
Through Stef’s books, talks and workshops – backed by a comprehensive online vault of surveys and support resources – he helps leaders to grow people who get results and he makes it so much easier for organisations to create winning workplace cultures.
Stef forms collaborative partnerships with his clients (more specifically, with the leadership teams of the organisations who engage him), and with the other service providers with whom they are already working.
Then, he provides them with the insights, resources and tools necessary to (1) Engage their people (towards getting everyone on board and on track), and to (2) Create a winning workplace culture (namely, to change the way that people do things, to a point where their visible actions manifest the organisation’s espoused values, thus securing organisational success while also making it a great place to work, for all). He only puts forward bespoke solutions that are fully integrated with his client’s internal initiatives, rather than hard-selling one-size-fits-all ‘solutions’. That said, his methodologies (most of it developed in collaboration with clients over the past 20 years) are tried-and-tested and they work. So, any solution he ever puts forward will of course consist of modular components from within his existing offering (and in those rare instances when he does not have a ready-to-go component, he develops it together with the client).
Stef also works with leadership teams to (3) Facilitate strategic execution (translated, he helps them to figure out what they need to do in order to deliver on their strategic plan). Just to be clear, he is neither a strategist nor a consultant – so he doesn’t help leadership teams to craft their strategy.
AgSci Unlimited is the home of Agsci Precision-Silage®, operating from South Africa. Richardt Venter is a professional livestock scientist and nutritionist. He has more than two decades of experience working in silage across the Southern African Development Community (SADC), South America, Australia, Europe, China, and the Middle East.
