Q. When was your New South Wales bull sale trip and who was else was on the tour?
A few days ending early last month. The group also included Angus New Zealand general manager Jane Allan, Shian Angus owner Rob Sherson, of Taumarunui, and Umbrella Range owner Jeremy Gunton, of Waikaia.
Q. Were you there as Angus New Zealand vice-president or owner of Kincardine Angus?
I had both hats.
Q. What was the first tour stop?
Jeremy and Carman Cooper, of Angus and Wagyu stud Circle 8 in Marulan, south of Sydney, put us up for breakfast and took us on a farm tour and we chatted about their sizeable embryo programme — Circle 8 is big into their breeding technology. We use some of the same genetics in New Zealand so it was great to see how it is performing in the Australian environment, with a different climate and feed type, that was an interesting comparison. He had a sale after we left and his top female made $A140,000 [$NZ156,250].
Q. What was the next stop on the first day of the tour?
To Boorowa to a sale at Kenny’s Creek Angus, which was very focused on estimated breeding values — they had very big cattle there, so we had a chance to look at those genetics.
Q. Estimated breeding values feature at sales in New Zealand too?
They do, but at Angus New Zealand we focus on the balance of the Angus animal and we take in the breeding values as well as the structural integrity of the animal. The New Zealand environment is pretty challenging where Angus thrive, so structural integrity is very important in our industry. It was interesting talking to some of the clients after the sales and touching on what’s important to them and we found New Zealand’s reputation was fantastic around our structural integrity. A lot of the studs there are looking at New Zealand genetics to help out their structural integrity.
Q. What did the top price bull fetch at Kenny’s?
About $A46,000 [$NZ51,300] and they were really stoked with that, it was well above what they had sold before and the manager was pretty pumped about the sale result.
Q. Did you give him some perspective and tell him about the $81,000 Angus bull you sold this year?
No, I kept that to myself. They were very interested what values were happening in New Zealand and trying to put it in a context with what our commercial farmers were receiving for their calves at the meatworks and comparing it to what Australian farmers were getting and paying for bulls. It didn’t work out too far apart.
Q. Where did you stay on the trip?
In Bathurst, and we had a quick hot lap around the Mount Panorama Circuit, which was fun.
Q. Did you set any lap records?
Not in a rental car.
Q. Where and when was the next bull sale?
Millah Murrah Angus the next morning, about 20km out of Bathurst. There is a lot of Millah Murrah genetics being used in New Zealand so it was good to have a look at the performance there and compare it back to New Zealand. They got some amazing prices. About 45 sires out of one bull, Millah Murrah Paratrooper, sold for an average of about $A50,000 [$NZ55,800].
Q. Was the top price paid at Millah Murrah the highest of your tour?
No, that happened the next day at Milwillwah Angus, where a bull was purchased for $A200,000 [$NZ223,200].
Q. Is this the first Australian bull sale tour for Angus New Zealand and will it happen again?
It was a test run and something we’d like to build on. The whole party really enjoyed it and made some connections. It’s an opportunity for us to gain knowledge and for Angus New Zealand to be a world leader in the beef industry.
