Cattle Baron Master Business Plan — Appendix D: Risk Register

Detailed risk register scoring likelihood and impact across disease, market, financial, security and environmental risks with mitigations.

Appendix D: Risk Register

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Risk

Likelihood

Impact

Mitigation

Owner

Foot-and-mouth outbreak on the farm

Medium

Very High

Buy almost no animals; quarantine every incoming animal 30 days; vaccinate under the national programme and record it; stock-proof boundary fencing; check the state veterinary position before every purchase. Movement control stops sales entirely, not just profit.

Owner

Weaner price normalisation

High

Very High

The plan prices at R44.00 against a market of R48.75. A 10% fall is worth R305 000 against Year 5 cash EBITDA of R112 000. Weaning percentage is the only available defence.

Owner

Weaning percentage below plan

Medium

Very High

Bull fertility testing before every season; cow condition scoring at mating; controlled 90-day season; calving supervision; cull cows that skip. Four points is worth R211 000.

Owner

Grazing outrun by the herd

Medium

High

Independent written confirmation of capacity before each expansion; stocking below 85% of assessed capacity; camp rotation with rest periods.

Owner

Blended Finance grant not obtained

High

High

R3.40m of the programme. Apply a full year ahead through more than one institution; hold the herd at its current size rather than over-borrow. Without it the founder return falls to minus 0.6%.

Owner

Drought

High

Very High

Stocking below assessed capacity; standing grazing reserve and a fodder budget that can be doubled; sell weaners and culls first and breeding cows last.

Owner

Stock theft

High

High

Registered brand; maintained boundary fencing; daily counts recorded; night kraaling where risk warrants; herding presence; community relationships; insurance on the breeding herd.

Owner and herdsmen

Cash exhaustion during the build

High

Very High

Cash EBITDA negative until Year 5. Each stage separately funded; cash EBITDA reported alongside EBITDA; breeding cows never sold to cover a shortfall.

Owner

Input cost pressure

Medium

Medium

Grazing 15% and supplement 20% above plan is worth R279 000 combined. Lease terms negotiated; supplement matched to condition rather than to habit.

Owner

Cull cow price below plan

Medium

Medium

A quarter of Year 5 cash revenue. Managed by a culling policy on age and condition rather than opportunistic selling.

Owner

Records incomplete at a gate

Low

Very High

Recorded on the day from the day the first cow arrives; cannot be reconstructed. Gate 1 and every funding application require them.

Owner

Trademark challenge on the name

Low

Medium

Formal search and attorney opinion before any branding spend. A few thousand rand against a rebrand after investors are on the register.

Owner