23 October 2023
By: Lloyd Phillips
The buyer of the proven stud Nguni bull, T160232, believes that this bull is possibly the best that he has come across among all South African Nguni bulls.
The owner of the Nandi Nguni Stud in the Eastern Cape’s district Cedarville has been blown away by the likely world-record R570 000 paid for one of his bulls last week. Clive Biggs already held the former world record of R310 000 paid for one of his other bulls back in 2020. He is amazed that despite South Africa’s difficult economy, seven-year-old proven herd-sire, T160232, sold for R260 000 more than its predecessor.
This newest confirmed South African record price for an Nguni bull was paid by Oliver Radford of Radford Ngunis in the Free State’s district Bloemfontein. It was at the 29th Central Nguni Club Auction facilitated by Vleissentraal, hosted at Be Human – Middelwater Farm near Bloemfontein, and achieved under the hammer of auctioneer, Gert Coetsee.
Biggs says that in addition to T160232’s other excellent traits, this bull had already proven himself a strong worker in Nandi Nguni Stud’s own cow herd. In 2022 he produced 85 calves through natural mating and he is expected to produce 87 calves this year.
“We’ve used him for four seasons and we now have his genetics in our stud. Until now we had lots of enquiries about his availability. This bull is going into his prime now and we decided that it would be a good time to sell him. We are very happy,” Biggs says further.
Radford acknowledges to Landbou.com that R570 000 was a hefty outlay. However, he also firmly believes that T160232’s contributions to Radford Ngunis’ own stud herd will generate returns and other benefits that significantly exceed his purchase price.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen such an Nguni bull in my life. He has incredible breeding stats and his pedigree is second to none. As stud breeders ourselves, we want to become the best or certainly rival the best. For me to be able to do such, I’ve got to buy the best,” Radford says.
As a means to protect his substantial investment, Radford will first send T160232 to a bull station where his semen will be tapped and stored for future use. Once sufficient straws have been collected, this bull will be physically sent to work at Radford Ngunis.
“We farm in an area with a high population of very venomous snakes, like Cape cobras,” Radford elaborates.
Vleissentraal published its report from the latest Central Nguni Club Auction. Sales statistics for stud Nguni animals sold there were 13 bulls for average R79 077 each (top price R570 000), one three-in-one cow for R17 500, 31 cow-and-calf combinations for average R15 532 each (top price R37 000), seven pregnant cows for average R13 071 each (top price R18 000), 51 pregnant heifers for average R13 196 each (top price R35 000) and one open heifer for R10 000.
