31 July 2023
By: Lloyd Phillips
A 25-year-old breeder has achieved a South African record price for a black Angus bull.
Several price records were set at the Midlands Angus Elite auction held in KwaZulu-Natal on July 27 by Farmers Livestock Agents (FLA). The highest price, R310 000, set a South African record for a black Angus bull.
The record-breaking bull, Epworth 89, is a son of the bull Vision Unanimous from the Epworth Enchant bloodline. Martin Watson (25) from the Angus stud farm White Oaks in the Lion’s River district sold the bull to Niquita, Revel and Irene Saint from Kembali Farms in the Humansdorp district of the Eastern Cape.
Watson told Landbou.com: “It hasn’t fully sunk in yet. The auction was fantastic overall. I must thank Colin Emanuel, from Epworth Angus stud, for granting me access to the goldmine of his herd’s genetics to start my journey as a stud breeder. Going forward, I will continue to focus on matching my cows with the right bulls.”
FLA says the auction at the Netherwood Elite bullring in Nottingham Road also set national records for the average prices achieved for black and red Angus bulls. Black bulls averaged R91,214, while red bulls averaged R86,551.
A red Angus bull from James Kelly’s Blairemore stud farm in the Howick district was purchased for R240,000 by DDD Ventures on the KZN South Coast. Another red Angus bull was sold for R220,000 by Graham Evans from the High Gate Angus stud farm in the Nottingham Road district to Beer Properties in Makhanda in the Eastern Cape.
Watson also set a KZN record by selling a pregnant black Angus heifer for R75,000 to the Guldenvrug farm near Pretoria. This heifer is a daughter of the bull SAV Catalyst and is pregnant with a calf from E19311.
A total of 50 Angus bulls and 50 Angus females were sold. Buyers from all over South Africa attended the auction.
