Records shattered at Agra stud auctions

With the highest price ever for a Bonsmara bull and a Van Rooy ram still fresh in mind, Agra Stud Services look forward to the excitement and successes of stud breeders selling and buying their genetic material through Agra stud auctions.

The first stud auction of Agra, the Windhoek Summer Sale, will take place on Wednesday 15 February 2012 at the Agra Bank Windhoek Ring.

“With so much activity and growth in the stud industry and increasing trade of superior genetic material the past few years, we are faced with the challenge of supply versus demand of stud bulls in all breeds,” said Kiep Lepen, manager of Agra Stud Services.

He invites farmers to register stud bulls for the Summer Sale, and to make sure they attend the auction in order to be able to invest in good genetic material. A total of 13 stud bulls of Brahman, Simmentaler and Simbra have been registered for this auction, and hundred commercial female animals and 10 stud cows will also be on sale.

During 2011 Agra Stud Services again hosted a total of 25 stud auctions and sold a total of 709 bulls, 27 more than in 2010.

For a number of years in a row, Agra rewrote the record books. In 2011, both the record for the most expensive bull as well as the average price per bull was improved significantly.

A highlight was the bull, Hart 08-62 from Hartebeestloop Bonsmaras of Dr Joggie Briedenhann, which sold for a phenomenal price of N$ 480 000.

The most expensive bull in 2010 fetched N$450 000 and the highest price in 2009 was N$280 000. These bulls were all from the stud of Hartebeestloop Bonsmaras. Agra applauds Dr Joggie Briedenhann for having sold selling the five most expensive bulls for three consecutive years. Besides the bull of N$480 000, Hartebeestloop Bonsmaras also sold two bulls for N$200 000, one for N$180 000, one for N$155 000 and one for N$130 000 in 2011.

At the same time the average price per bull of N$ 34 295 at Agra stud auctions also outperformed the average of N$29 270 achieved in 2010 and N$28 713 in 2009.

“The support of buyers to achieve these results is invaluable and highly appreciated. We congratulate the sellers and the buyers and believe that the bulls they purchased will contribute meaningfully to the genetic improvement of the various herds,” Lepen said.

“The commitment of Namibian farmers to improve their herds and to provide outstanding genetic material is our motivation and reason for excitement to continue with Agra Stud Services’ dedicated service in 2011.”

click to enlarge PRIZE BULL: Bull Hart 08-62, which fetched N$480 000 © Contributed