Top prices were achieved at the biennial La Rhone production auction at Tulbagh, with the highest price of R2,8 million for a Limousin bull.
By Clivé Montgomery
AJ du Toit of the La Rhone Limousin stud says they are extremely grateful and satisfied with the outcome of the auction, which lasted more than six hours. Approximately 75 buyers from eight provinces and several African countries registered for the auction.
“Despite the many obstacles in our economy and in spite of foot-and-mouth disease, we did well beyond expectations.”
It was African buyers in particular who spent big money at this prestigious auction, where the La Rhone Limousin stud made some of its best breeding material available to buyers.
These European genes offer a good combination for excellent crossbreeding with other breeds.
Du Toit says they are also very excited about the first Limousins that have been purchased to start a stud in Cameroon. Cameroon, which is a high rainfall area, has similar weather conditions to parts of Zambia, where La Rhone breeding stock is already being successfully farmed with. “We are very excited to be part of their crossbreeding process and to see what results it will yield.”
Ibrahim Abba, the main buyer from Cameroon, says he was in South Africa for the first time in March this year when he attended the national show in Bloemfontein and was very impressed. He and a few breeders from Cameroon attended the La Rhone auction.
“We are looking for adaptable animals that will be suitable to our conditions and are also free from tick-borne diseases. We have high rainfall, and this causes a lot of problems. We therefore farm in extensive conditions and are looking for animals that can ensure greater profitability for us.”
He could not stop talking about what La Rhone has been able to achieve in their stud and specifically with Limousin breeding material over the past 25 years. “They are doing excellent work and have succeeded in making the Limousin breed adaptable to African conditions. We have seen what has been done with this breed in Zimbabwe, Zambia and Botswana.”
According to him, they are very satisfied with the quality of the animals they were able to buy at the auction and believe it is good value for their money. “This was certainly the first of many.”
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Top quality always has a high premium. Another new client who supported the auction well was BK Ramahobo of HSNV Mining in Gaborone, Botswana. He paid a top price of R1,4 million for a cow and a calf and R1 million for a sought-after bull, Admiral. He also invested in a few cows and calves, as well as heifers.
Andile Solwandle from Komga in the Eastern Cape paid R1,8 million for the bull, Dixon.
Jan Stiglingh of Leadwood Limousins in the Thuli block, Botswana, paid the highest price for a bull. The bid for Cockpit was set at R2,8 million. “I believe this bull will do well with us and provide top quality stud animals. They will be a good combination with the offspring of Zippo, who we also bought here at an auction four years ago.”
He says the La Rhone animals fit in well with their stud, as they are moving towards Limousins with looser skin and shorter legs.
He laughs when asked if he would be prepared to pay more for Cockpit. “I was very relieved when the bidding stopped where it did.”
However, he admits that he would have bid a little higher if necessary.
“I eventually stopped bidding on one of the cows and calves, but my wife just picked up where I left off. We are very happy with our purchases.”
The Stiglinghs paid R280 000, R300 000 and R350 000 for cows with calves, while they also paid the highest price of R550 000 for a pregnant heifer.
Mutanda Farms in Zambia paid the highest price of R1 million for an open heifer and put in the second highest bid for a cow and calf at R900 000.
“We see that the African market is developing significantly. Many of the countries work with the original Bos indicus and indigenous breeds, so they need a European type breed for hybrid vigour and to deliver better carcasses, specifically for the abattoir and for greater profitability.
The question remains, however, how one can profit after paying such high prices for the animals. Du Toit says that in the end it is all about the breeding material. “Today’s technology makes it so much easier to multiply female breeding material, and use is being made of gender-manipulated semen in order to produce more female animals faster. I believe this will also be the case with this breeding material.
“The other side of the coin is that new breeding material in the heifers means that it can produce top-quality animals in your stud going forward, which should later achieve good prices.
“One heifer has a Canadian sire and the dam is one of the best stud dams in our herd. On the other hand, the other heifer is the daughter of the SA record price bull, which was sold for R3 million two years ago. The secret is therefore to take the most sought-after breeding material and multiply it. It is definitely about multiplication and getting your hands on sought-after breeding material.
Ten straw-embryos were sold at auction for a whopping R600 000 to BB5 Farming of Thabazimbi.
“Yes, there are certainly risks associated with embryos, but of course there is a premium on dominant breeding material, and this is exclusive to La Rhone. We decided to make it available precisely to help promote the breed.”
The total turnover of the auction was just short of R31 million. Vleissentraal hosted the auction on 30 August on the farm La Rhone at Tulbagh. The auctioneer was Johan van der Nest. SwiftVee handled the online auction.
