The annual Limpopo Beefmaster Club auction held on 26 July this year at the Warmbad Livestock Market in Bela-Bela, fared better than last year’s auction and had a turnover of almost R1,6 million.
By Johan Norval
One of the club members, Dr Hendrik Meyer of the Rhenostervallei Beefmaster stud in the Pienaarsrivier district and the Roodepoort farm in the Naboomspruit district, says the females performed relatively well but they are disappointed with the average price of R50 458 for the bulls.
Several bulls were taken out of the ring unsold. He attributes the weak demand to the fact that farmers have not yet finished harvesting their crops, as well as the uncertainty caused by foot-and-mouth disease.
One of his bulls, RLR 220045, fetched the highest price of R77 500 at the auction. The buyer is M. Paile of Secunda.
A commercial pregnant heifer from Rhenostervallei fetched R24 500. The buyer is Harrie Ligthelm of Benoni.
Pregnant stud heifers fetched an average of R27 833, commercial cows with a calf R16 833 and pregnant and non-pregnant commercial heifers R17 960 and R11 469 respectively.
The club strives to breed animals that are phenotypically and genotypically correct. “As a result, we use genomic testing, parentage determination and strict selection on breeding values,” says Meyer.
He is optimistic about his own production auction, which will also be held at Bela-Bela on September 13.
The auction was hosted by Vleissentraal with Pieter-John Venter as the auctioneer.
