Botswana cattle farmer Monty Chiepe  paid a new South African record price for a black Angus bull at Mequatling Angus Breeders’ 50th auction.

Black Angus bull Mequatling Smokin’Jo (no WB 15 306) was sold for the record price of R140 000 (US$10 750).

Chiepe has his own artificial insemination and embryo facility in Gaborone and is a former chairperson of the Botswana Beef Producers’ Association. He has a commercial pure-bred white Brahman stud on his farm and built up his core herd from some of South Africa’s top Brahman breeders.
The sale of the bull was a highlight at the auction of stock from Philip Barnard’s Clocolan-based Mequatling stud.

LINEAGE

Smokin’Jo was sired by HF Kodiak 5R from semen imported from the Hamilton Farms near Calgary in Alberta, United States. Kodiak’s semen is so popular that the price for a single semen straw can be as much as R6 000 (US$ 460). Smokin’Jo’s mother is Mequatling Lassie 9003. During his growth tests, he achieved an average daily weight increase of 136 plus, plus a feed efficiency index of 116.

All animals at the auction were sold. Altogether 46 red and black bulls were sold at an average price of R61 000 (US$4 680) per animal, and 47 red and black heifers/cows were sold at an average of R31 000 (US$2 380).

The highest price for a cow was paid for Mequatling Modern Mama (WB 11 319) – sold for R90 000 (US$6 900) to RN Bouwer Farms near Paarl in the Western Cape.

The auction was presented by SHM Auctioneers and the auctioneer was Andrew Miller.