FMG has been serving our clients for 120 years, through thick and thin, the good times and the bad.
e were started by farmers for farmers, and we are still here for rural New Zealand today. Part of our longstanding commitment involves supporting of bull sales across New Zealand
FMG supports around 150 premier bull sales annually
That’s why our approach to Premier Bull Sales has been updated to support our farmers with their stud bull purchases, providing certainty and security from the get-go
This season brings some changes to our Premier Bull Sale offerings
We’ve refined our 14-day free cover
so it’s only available for current FMG clients with an active policy and only on completion of the FMG Bull Insurance slip We’re making changes to the type of information we collect and how we protect this information This means the insurance slip will now be separate from the multi-purpose purchaser slip
This ensures we continue to prioritise what’s best for our clients
To support buyers there will be an FMG representative at each premier
sale to lend a hand
Rural Manager Caroline Houghton, who has been with FMG for eight years, understands how big a deal buying a bull can be
“Buying a bull is a massive investment for our clients and a lot of time is spent trawling catalogues to ensure the right fit for their property and breeding programme So, it makes sense they want to make sure its protected”
On completion of the Insurance slip, FMG’s Bull Sale insurance offers cover - for theft or death, infertility and vet costs
Houghton also has some advice about what to do on the day of a bull sale, and how to navigate upcoming changes
“We appreciate it might feel different,
After120yearsFMGstillhere forruralNewZealand but if in doubt, look out for us We’re there to ensure you get the best cover on sale day, and the best service every day after that”
Finally, Houghton says there’s loads to love about being at a bull sale
“It’s a massive community event; a great time to catch up with everyone off farm”
So, as you attend the bull sales this year, remember Houghton’s advice: if in doubt, look out for FMG
WilencotePolled Herefords Wilencote Polled Herefords is located in the Ngatapa District, just 30 minutes from Gisborne City The Humphreys family have been breeding Herefords for 105 years, with Matt and his wife Megan taking over the reins in 2021.
Wilencote’sbreedingprogramme Over the last four years we have learnt a lot and feel confident and excited about the future direction of Wilencote. We have been investing heavily in new genetics, where these align with our breeding objectives. Our breeding philosophy has always been tuned to producing sound, reliable, productive commercial bulls, that are fit for purpose.
We have also been focussed on building our in-house data, ensuring ‘actuals’ for all traits are measured, as well as genomically testing (100k) and muscle scanning our sale bulls as well as our replacement heifers. It’s been awesome to be able to physically track progress – particularly in our muscle scanning results across our female herd.
fundamentals – fertility, structure and temperament
The last six months have been a busy time on and off-farm. We welcomed our second daughter Sage in October We have also just finished building a new set of cattle yards out the back of the farm which has been a game changer for stock management We are also very excited to be able to utilise it to undertake our AI programme moving forward.
The farm is 420ha, 390ha effective, and is long and narrow, which presents its challenges. We bull 300 cows and heifers, and we have a sheep programme focussed on early lambing and trading lambs.
Our last drop of calves are by far the best we have produced to date which we believe is a mixture of investing in good genetics and culling hard for the
Our bulls are born and raised on medium hill country and are 100% grass fed. They need to perform in this environment as our core clients are East Coast hill country farmers. We are optimistic about the future and the results from the recent weaner sales clearly demonstrate the benefits of crossbreeding and hybrid vigour
32 bulls will be presented at this years on-farm bull sale with bulls available for both heifer and cow mating. All bulls are sold with a 3-year structural guarantee and are service capacity and semen tested prior to sale to ensure they will ‘get the job done’
This year’s sale will be held on Wednesday 4 June (the Wednesday after Kings Birthday) at 2 30pm with bulls available for viewing anytime prior
Matt, Megan and Ida.
PassionateaboutbreedingHerefords PlatformHerefordStudis ownedandoperatedby MarkandCharmaineWill. Locatedontheir840hahill countryfarm‘Awatahuna’, 27kmnorth-eastof MastertoninBideford.The farmruns60studcows, 200commercialcows, 1700breedingeweswhile finishingallyoungstock.
Thestudwasestablishedin 2017withfoundationfemales camefromDuncraigenStud inSouthland(5),NgakoukaStudin Dannevirke(5)andPanoramaStudin Feilding(5).Slowlywehaveincreasedour studnumbersto60andweareaimingto reach80studcows.
In2023wepurchased11in-calfstud hornedcowsfromdispersalsaleat WayneandMaggieWilliams‘Glacier HornedHerefords’inFoxGlacier.
“Wesawthisasagreatopportunity tobuyinexcellentgeneticsfromsucha prestigiousstudthathadmorethan50
yearsofbreeding.Althoughwearenot goingtospecificallybehornedbreeders whichisunfortunateandisduetothe declineofthehornedcattlemarket, wedohoweverbelievethathorned bloodisessentialindevelopingahigh performingherdwhileincreasingthe boneandstrength,”saysCharmaine.
Thisyearwehaveforsaleviaprivate treaty5xR2yroldhornedstudbullsthat arefullGlaciergenetics.Notablesires areGlacierUnique591andGlacierY Unique786whosoldfor$28,000in2023 toPourakinoDownsStudinSouthland.
“Wehavebeenverypleasedwiththese
bulls,theyareexceptionallyquiet,well grownwithgoodEBVdatatomatch andwewillberetaininganothertwoof thesebullsforourowninherduse.They areverygoodfunctionalbullswithgood boneandconstitution”.
“Weareverypassionateabout breedingHerefordsandreallyenjoy workingwiththem.Theyarerenowned fortheirquiettemperament.They aregoodlookingcattle,andyoucan tellthemaparteasily.Wearefocused onbreedingstructurallysound, performancerecordedandquietbulls forcommercialfarmers”
BullsareBVDtested, vaccinatedand carcassscanned. Wewelcomevisitorsand enquiriesanytime. FollowusonFacebook @PlatformHerefordStud
Mark&CharmaineWill 063724896 0226942362 email:platformfarm@gmail.com
CharmainewiththeGlacierhornedbullsthatareforsale.
KayJayAngus-pushingtheboundaries HereatKayJayweare abreedingprogram thatpushesthe boundarieswhenit comestoperformance andproductionwhile maintainingthefunctional, efficientpackagethatthe traditionalanguscattle beastisbestknownfor.
Likemany,KJhasneverbeenfortunate enoughtohavegenuinescalein termsoffarmsize.Therefore,cattle andsheephavehadtoperformatevery ageandstagetomakethebusiness viable.Thisiswheretheboundaries getpushedandwelearnwhatcanbe achievedwhentryingtoaddasmuch valueintoacarcasswhilestillmaintaining thecorefundamentalsofafunctional efficientanimal.
Overtheyearswehaveseenthe demandforKJgeneticsexplodeandwe nowhavebullstravelingnation-wide.With thegoaltobeawell-knownandreputable sourceofgeneticsinthemarket.Weare
pleasedtoseethiscomingtofruition withKJbredweaners,yearlingcattleand femalesthroughthesaleyardsreally demandingapremiumwhensoldas KayJayBred.
Thisyear’ssaleteamisanotherstrong teamofbullswithconsistencyanddepth fromlot1throughto45andsomereal starscomingthrough.
KayJayisalsobecomingknownfor thefestivitiesduringandfollowingour bullsalewithalargecrowdenjoying refreshments,alivebandandtheshuttle toandfromtown.
Accommodationanddeferred paymentavailable,pleasegetintouch.
AKayJaycattlebeasthastobe addingvalueateveryageandstage ofitslifetime.Thoseextrakgsat criticaltimesarewhatsetsgood programsapartfromtherest.
Farmfacts
•590ha
•Mating200studfemales
•Lambing2000ewes
•Lambing500hoggets
•Alllambsandcattlefinished onfarm
TANGIHAU ANGUS KayJayBullcalfweanedat70%ofdamsbodyweight.
3 cows that can lay claim to maternal performance - dams of current AI Sires -
STOP PRESS!! Fielding Angus Weaners top at $1580 - Merchiston genetics!!
**34 bulls in this years bull sale have an average carcass wgt EBV of +74 kilos, 25 kilos more than the Angus breed average.
4TH JUNE 2.30PM Selling 34 R2 Angus Bulls
TheKoanuisale2025 ByChrisandJenniferChesterman
Whataturnaroundin farminginthelastsix months!Ithasbeennice toseetheriseinboth lambandbeefschedules: butnow,ofcourse,talk oftariffshascausedmass uncertainty.
Asfarmers,weneedtokeepour eyesfocusedonthetargetof increasingproductivityand workingsmarter.Themoreproductive ourbreedingprogrammesare,the better.
Weareveryexcitedaboutthetrends andqualityinourbreedingprogramme atKoanui.Thecontinuedinvestment anddevelopmentofextensivedata recordingisgivingusgreateraccuracy andreliabilitytoidentifythequalitiesof thegeneticsyou,ourcustomers,look for.Thebullsthatweretain areveryexciting,andtheir siblingsthatareavailable throughthesalecomefrom thesamegeneticpool.
Koanuiisrenownedfor itsmaternalcowherd. Ourrigorousselectionon fertility,phenotypeand udderqualityovermany decadesissomethingwe’re incrediblyproudof.There arenumeroustraits,such asfertility,thatbecome embeddedintheherd throughrunningapractical anddisciplinedcattle breedingsystem.Wedon’t keepanydries,wecalve everythingattwoyears ofage,andweonlyretain replacementsthatreargood
calvesandareeasytohandle.Atriedand-truerecipe.
Weareveryproudofboththecow herdandoursirebattery.Weareexcited aboutthecalibreofthebullsweretainin theherd,whichproduceanimalsatthe cuttingedgeofprovenandnewquality Herefordgenetics.Whilewestrongly believeinthevalueoftheperformance system,webreedforadditionalcritical selections.Ourbullsarealsorequired tohaveamplesoundness,whichis somethingwedowellhere.
Overthepast12monthsandlooking ahead,wearemakingsignificant changestoourlandholdings.Our aimistosecuresufficientscalefor Koanuitomeetbreedingobjectives, climaticsecurity,staffingflexibility, andhaveenougheconomicresilience to(hopefully)weatheratariffwar.We warmlywelcomeCoryandSharna Hollistertotheteamtomanagethenew HaylandpropertyatOkuku,Rangiora. Weareestablishingafinishingandonce bredheifersystemthere.
Weareverymuchenjoyinghaving AllieChestermanandherpartnerCaleb WhiteworkingatKoanui,bringingakeen interestinthestud.Theteamisenjoying makingchangeandprogressforthe businessandwe’relookingforwardto hostingyouatoursale,catchingup,and sharingourlatestandgreatestKoanui PolledHerefords.
PaddockviewingattheKoanuiBullsale2024
StudmastersChrisand JenniferChesterman
Focusingonbreedingfundamentals HaroldandRachaelO’Grady foundedShamrockAngusin2019.
NestledbetweentheRuahineandKawekarangesinthe KereruDistrictofHawkesBay,preparationsareunderway forthisyear’sBullsalesatShamrockAngusstud.
TheSaleBullmobkeenasmustard fortheBullWalkandsellingseason.
CricklewoodPandemicP056
TurihauaEasternStarR49
Rangatira20-1034
MogckSpecialist98
ClunieRangePlantationP392
KenhardtNobleN898
KenhardtPlaybackP1057
ShamrockAngusisarelativelynew studestablishedbysheepandbeef farmersHaroldandRachaelO’Grady in2019.Theystartedthestudbasedon theirenthusiasmfortheircommercial breedingherdandthefeelingthat theycouldaddextra,particularlygiven theyhavealwayshadadiscerningeye forbuyinggoodqualityAngusSires andhavinggood-bodiedcowsthatare expectedtorearacalfeveryyear.
HaroldandRachaelruntheirfarm themselveswiththeassistanceofsome eagergrandsons(fromtimetotime). FarmingisinHarold’sbloodandit’sall he’severwantedtodo.Hisfamilyhave beenbreedingAnguscattlesince1962. Haroldhasfarmedonhillcountryallhis lifeandhasappreciatedthequalities Anguscattlehavetoperformwellin harshenvironments.
Rachaelhascomefromateaching backgroundspecialisinginscienceand maths.Shehasadaptedmanyofthose skillstotheirfarmingpractices.Rachaelis keenlyinvolvedwithcommunityactivities andhasbeenfortunatetoholdmany volunteerpositions.
ShamrockAngusstudprogramme kickedoffwiththepurchaseofnineincalfcowsfromtheSpringdaledispersal. Studnumbersincreasedwiththe purchasesofstudheifersfromKaharau Angus,and21femalesattheRangatira dispersal.Additionalstudfemaleshave alsobeenpurchasedfromAtahuaand TuriroaAngusStuds.Selectingfromwell-
knownandrespectedstudshasprovento beagoodsolidbasetostartfrom.
Breedinggoodcattlehasalwaysbeen apassionforHaroldandRachael.They havefocussedonensuringthatthe breedingfundamentalsofstructural soundness,fertility,phenotype,calving ease,goodgrowthandtemperament arenotcompromisedwhilelookingto improveotherattributes.Asastudthey arealwaysexcitedtoseehoweachyear’s progenyperform.
Haroldlovesdata(hisfavourite programisExcel),andwhileEBVs providedgoodinformation,hedoesn’t believethatchasingfiguresshould comeattheexpenseoftheimportant fundamentalsthattheAngusBreedare knownfor.
ShamrockAngusareexcitedtobe puttingupagreatconsistentlineof bullsforsalethisyear.Thebullsaresold byPrivateTreaty,althoughthefuture includesplansforsellingthebullsby auctionandtogrowtheclientbase. Repeatclientskeepcomingbackeach year,eagertocontinuebuyinggood, docile,functionalbullsthatthriveand performwell.
Newandexistingclientsarewarmly invitedtotheShamrockAngusOpenDay onthe9Maybetween9.30and12.30. Comeandcatchupandgrabsomething toeat.Alternatively,HaroldandRachael arealwayshappytohavecattlebreeders arrangeasuitabletimetolookattheir breedingoperation.
NewZealandredmeatindustry’sfirst Dragon’sDenwinnerannounced Aninnovativeideafortransforming mechanicallydebonedmeat(MDM)into ameatflakeforseasoninghastakentop honoursintheMeatIndustryAssociation’s(MIA) first-everDragon’sDencompetition.Renyu Zhang,aseniorscientistwithAgResearch,has beennamedthewinneroftheinauguralcontest, whichchallengedKiwistodevelopgroundbreakingideastoadvanceNewZealand’sred meatprocessingindustry.
Atotalof42entrieswerereceived,withZhang beatingfourotherfinaliststosecureaprizeof upto$10,000todevelopabusinesscaseand progresstheideaintoaresearchproject.
Zhang’sUmamificationofmechanicallydebonedmeat(MDM)proposaloutlinedanovel processtotransformlower-valueMDMintoa meatflakewithhighumami—savouryflavour— whichwouldbestableatroomtemperatureand haveusesasaproteinenhancerandsnackfood.
SirmaKarapeeva,chiefexecutiveoftheMeat IndustryAssociation,saidthehighcalibreof entriesmadeselectingthefivefinalistsand ultimatelythewinnerachallengingtask.
“Thecompetitionrecognisedthatmany peoplehavetransformativeideasbutmaylack theresourcestobringthemtolife.
“Wesoughtbold,innovativeconceptsin meatindustryresearchanddevelopmentthat alignwiththeGovernment’sambitiousgoalof doublingexportvalue.
“Allthefinalistsdeservedcredit,however, RenyuZhang’sideastoodoutbothfor theinnovativeprocessproposedandthe opportunitiesforglobalinterestinsucha product.”
Zhangsaidhewaspleasedtowinthe competitionandgetanopportunitytotakethe projecttothenextstage.
“I’mhonouredtowinthisinauguralDragon’s Denevent,andgratefultoMIAforthis opportunity,”hesaid.
“Wehaveexcitingopportunitiestoturnlowvaluestreamsfromthemeatindustryintohighvalue,uniquelyKiwiproductsthatcanstrengthen ourglobalpresenceandaddtoourunique Kiwitasteprofile.Ilookforwardtoworkingwith industrypartnerstobringthisvisiontolife.”
TheDragon’sDenfinaltookplaceatthejoint AgResearch-MIAMeatInnovationWorkshop inPalmerstonNorthon11March.Contestants eachhadfiveminutestopitchtheirideastothe judgingpanel,followedbyfiveminutesofQ&A withthejudgesandaudience.
Thejudgingpanelfeaturedindustryleaders, SirmaKarapeeva,AndrewClark,Investment Manager,MinistryforPrimaryIndustries’ SustainableFoodandFibreTeam,Steve Cartwright,BusinessManager,Healthcare, ANZCOFoodsandBruceFyfe,GeneralManager, Commercial,AucklandMeatProcessors.
SourceMIA
RenyuZhang’sideastoodoutbothfortheinnovative processproposedandtheopportunitiesforglobal interestinsuchaproduct.
Reinforcingprideinoursheep andbeefindustry ByPatrickCrawshaw,Director, Beef+LambNewZealand
Ihaveattendedtwooutstandingeventsrecently;both mademeveryproudofoursheepandbeefindustry andthemanypeoplewhoworkwithinit.
Beef+LambNewZealand’sinaugural OuttheGateeventinRotorua featuredsomeinspiringspeakersand greatdiscussion.
Oneofthespeakers,SimonQuiltyof GlobalAgritends,wasparticularlyupbeat aboutourredmeatsectorandpredicted solidreturnsforbothsheepmeatandbeef intheyearahead.
Certainly,I’menjoyingthecurrent pricingforbeefandlambandafter listeningtoSimon,I’moptimisticthis upwardtrajectorywillcontinue.
TherecentAhuwhenuaTrophyfieldday atTawapataSouthMāoriIncorporation OnenuiStationontheMahiaPeninsula wasoutstanding.
Itwasawesometoseeareally
OnenuiStation:therecentAhuwhenuaTrophyfielddayatTawapataSouth MāoriIncorporationOnenuiStationshowcasedEastCoastfarmingatitsbest.
well-presentedfarmperformingatan exceptionallyhighlevelunderchallenging climaticandLandUseCapabilityresource conditions.Theiwiandonfarmteamof Onenuishouldbeproudoftheirefforts. ItwasafantasticexampleofEastCoast farming.
Icongratulateboththefinalistsinthis year’sAhuwhenuaTrophy,theotherbeing Northland’sWhangaroaNgaiotonga Trust.Ilookforwardtohearingwhowins theTrophyattheAwardseveningin PalmerstonNorthinJune.
InMarch,B+LNZGeneticslaunched nProveBeef,anon-linetooltohelp commercialbeefbreedersfindthebulls thatbestmeettheirbreedingobjectives.
BasedonthesuccessfulnProveSheep, nProveBeefisnowavailableforuseinthe lead-uptothebullbuyingseason.
Usersputinthecriteriaaligningwith theirbreedingobjectivesandnProveBeef willcomeupwitharangeofbreederswho meetthosecriteria.Withinthosebreeders, therewillalsobeanumberofbullsthat willmeetthebuyer’srequirements.
Itmeansthatfarmersdon’tneedto knowtheexactnumbers,orEBVs,foreach breed.Instead,userscanuseslidersto selectthetop–ormoremoderateanimals –foraparticulartrait.
It’sworthjumpingonandhavingaplay toseehowthetoolworks.Bullsarenot
PatrickCrawshaw,Director, Beef+LambNewZealand.
cheap,soit’sworthwhileusingevery availabletooltohelpselecttheanimals thatbestsuityourneeds.
FootandMouthDiseaseisaneverpresentthreattoouragriculturalsector andeconomy,withseveraloutbreaks recentlyreportedinEurope.
Whilethepriorityremainskeepingthe diseaseout,workhasbeenunderwayfor severalyearstoensurewecanrespond asquicklyaspossibleifitdoesarriveand minimisethedamagetooursectorand economy.
B+LNZisseekinglevypayerapprovalto joinanOperationalAgreementbetween industryandgovernmentthatseeksto ensurewe’reaspreparedaspossiblefor apotentialoutbreakandsetsouthowa responseeffortwouldbefunded.B+LNZ cannotjointheOperationalAgreement withoutlevypayerapprovalsoplease,have yoursay.
Votingcloseson16Mayandthereisa dedicatedpageonB+LNZ’swebsiteto answeranyquestions.
Goodcattlehandlingbyguidinginstincts Ifworkingcattlethroughyouryardsisoneofthoseman versusbeastbattlesyouputoffuntilyouabsolutely must,thenregularweighsessionstomonitoreach animal’sprogressisnotlikelytohappenwhenitshould.
Likewise,iftheyardsneedrepair orareinthewronglocationfor convenientuseitsnothelpingthe farmworkflowefficiently.
Yarddesignandlayoutthatletsyoudo thehandlingtaskssafelyandefficientlyis importantforanimalandoperator.Stress freehandlingpaysofinspades.Animal stressmeanshighcortisollevels,these takeupto48hourstoeaseoff,inthe meantimetheanimalisnotputtingon weight....atakiloadaythatcouldbeup to4kiloslostgrowth.Staffandoperator stressdoesnothingfor“gettingthebest outoftheday.”
AtTechnipharmweaimtoinstallas muchanimalbehaviourscienceinour SmartYarddesignsaspossible.“Guiding theanimalbydesign,notbystickand mouth,”isthemotto.Bestyarddesign isunderstandingwhatneedstobe achievedbythefarmerandworking towardsdeliveringthatinanoutcome fromusingtheyards.
ComplimentingagreatSmartYardisa greatCattleHandler!Thefocusofmost
yardworkaccumulatesatthehandling area.Manyfarmersarestillfarmingwell overandbeyondtheyearstheirfathers farmed.Often,theymayhavealingering rugbyorfarminjuryandmorehandling work,insummary“it’shardwork.”But withtherightgearliketheTechniPharm Infinity™hydraulicallydrivenhandlers thisisverymanageableandmore enjoyable.
Thefactisifyouhandle500head anddoafewjobsinonesessionlike drenching,taggingandweighingand youoperatethehandlermanually,you likelyhavelittleenergyleftattheendof theday.Changetoahydraulichandler andyouwillstillhaveenergyforother thingsbethatworkorpleasure.Plus,it’s alotlessstressfulforthestock.“Oneof ourfarmingclientshastwoTechniPharm handlers,onemanualonehydraulic. Withalotofservicebullsandfattening stockthereisalotgoingon.“It’saneasy choicewhichoneheratherworkswith.” WemakeFarmingezy.
WeMakeFarmingEzy Thedesignofyournewyardswill standardplansorcustomdesigned.
The#8isdesignedwith animalwellbeinginmind, greataccessandexcellent, comfortablehandlingis whatanyanimalonfarm deserves.Safe,fastand ezyworkingconditions areneededforoperators, contractorsandvetsalike.
Extreme™isdesignedfor theveryseriousstockman. Thisisthestakeintheground whererealhandlingstartsand mediocrehandlingstops.The notjustaboutsteelorpower... it’saboutcleverandintelligent engineeringforapurpose.
TheCattleCurtain™makes youryardworkeasyand safe.Mostyardshavea lotofgates;gatesrequire peopleintheyardsoftenin amongststock.Nowplace CattleCurtain™anywhere inyouryardswherecattle shouldonlytraveloneway.
FullyHydraulicInfinityCattleHandleronKingCountrybeefand sheepstation(Weigh/EIDautodraftandreducingraceentry).
ETSdistortionseat reportmakesitcleartheprimarydriverin recentyearsisconversionoffarmlandto forestry.
Some175,000hectaresofsheepand beeffarmlandhasbeenconvertedto forestryinthelastfiveyearsalone.
NewZealandistheonlycountry, asidefromKazakhstan,toallow 100%offsettingofcarbon emissionsbyforestrywithintheETS. Thatmeanscarbon-emittingindustries herehavelittleornoincentivetoexplore changesortechnologiestoreinin theiremissions–it’seasiertoearnETS emissionsunitsbywhackinginmore pines.
TogetherwithotherGovernment policiesthatskewlandusedecisions infavourofchasingpineforestcarbon revenue,itputsthesqueezeonbeef andsheepfarmerstochasethoseeasier dollars.
Beefcattlenumbers(andthenational sheepflockforthatmatter)areonthe slide.Juston20yearsago,ourbeefcattle tallytopped4.5million.Beef+LambNZ’s June2024StockNumberSurveyrecorded atotalof3.55million.
Whileastrongelementofthe2.8% dropinbeefcattlenumbersinthe2023/24 yearwastodowithdroughtconditionsin partsoftheSouthIsland,theBeef+Lamb
“WithourPrimeSteerstheWhitefacearefirstouttheGate.” - PatrickHendersonHINAUSTATION
“HerefordCrossbullprogenyaveraged630kgsat18months,wecan usuallybankon56 - 57%yield.” - WilliamWallaceWALLACEFARMING
Eachyearthatbeefcattlenumbersdrop meansthere’slessdemandforstudbulls andtheirgenetics,andfewbreedingcows toproducecalves.
Theforestrybeingrolledoutismostly –butbynomeansexclusively–inthe hardercountrythatsuitsbeefcattleand sheep.
Beefcowsarebrilliantattakinglow valuefeedandconvertingitintohigh valueproteinintheformofcalves.
Whenthelandtheygrazeisdisplacedby forestry,it’snotasifsignificantnumbers oftheseanimalsareinsteadgoingtobe grazedontheflats.Understandably,the greenergrassofthatbetterlandisthe homefordairycowsorfinishinganimals.
Dairybeefisn’tknownforitseating quality.Iwouldarguethatevenwith puttingbeefbullsacrossdairycowsin secondorthirdcycles,thevalueand eatingqualityisstilllowerthantheprime steaksandroastingcutsfromanAngusor Hereford.
Sopinesgoup,andbeefnumbers dwindle.
Marketskeeptellingusofstronglongtermdemandforhigh-quality,grass-fed proteinintheformofredmeat.
Withafragileconstructionscene,woodNewZealand’sEmissions TradingSchemesettingsare flawed–andthat’shurting studbullbreedersandthe widerbeefsector.
TheNorthIslandexperiencedvaried conditionsoversummerand autumn2025withfarmersonthe EastCoastfaringbestafterwelcome,and needed,Christmasandearlynewyearrain whichsetmostproducersinthisregion upforareasonablesummerintermsof homegrownfeed Amajorpositivefor sheepandbeeffarmersoverthelastsix monthshasbeenthesharpimprovement insheepmeatreturns Beefpricinghas beenthecherryontop,withweek-onweekrecord-breakingfarmgateprices throughMarchandApril
Optimismisawelcomeguestatthe NewZealandfarmingtableaftertwo challengingyearsintheredmeatsector Thefundamentalsbehindhigherprices forbeefandsheepmeatarestronger globaldemand,especiallyfromtheUK andEUforlamb,andtheUSforbeef Lowerglobalsupplyofbothsheepand beefin2025,andalowerKiwiexchange ratearealsohelpingsupportexportprices
ThebeefschedulefortheNorthIsland acrossbullbeef,prime,andcullcow continuestohitrecordhighswithaverage pricingupto50%abovethe5-year average Inlate-April2025,theAgriHQNI bullpricewasNZD765/kgcarcassweight (cwt),P2steeratNZD755/kgcwt,and manufacturingcowatNZD5610/kgcwt Averageexportvalueforbeefhitarecord inFebruary2025atNZD1085/kgFreeOn Board(FOB),withthisnumbermatched againinMarch2025andclosetothe previoushighinJuly2022ofNZD1084/ kgFOB InMarch2025,thetotalvalueof beefexports(provisional)hitanall-time
highatNZD534million,32millionmore thantheprevioushighinMay2024 This isdespitethemonthlyvolumeofexports onlybeingtheninthhighestinthepast fiveyears
Themuch-talked-aboutUnitedStates beefherdrebuildisthekeydriverbehind NewZealand’shigherpricesforlean trim(grinding)product TheUSremains thebiggestmarketforNewZealand beefinbothvolumeandvaluewithjust over182,000tonneofbeefshippedin 2024,worthNZD184billion ForNew Zealand,thisprimarilyincludesbullbeef andmanufacturingcow,butallcohorts ofcattlearebenefitingfromimproved pricing USdemandisthewindinthesails ofNewZealand’scurrentbeefpricing Lambfarmgatepricingisalsostrong, sittingat20%abovethe5-yearaverage, thoughnotquiteattherecordlevelsof spring2022 TheNorthIslandAgriHQ
lambpriceissittingaroundNZD870/kg cwtinlateApril,upNZD2 55/kgcwtfrom thesameweeksofApril2024 Theaverage exportvalueforlambinFebruaryreached NZD1348/kgcwt,helpedbystrongeaster chilledtrade Thiswasthesecondhighest averagemonthlypricerecordedinNZD terms,justbehindMarch2022 Whattowatch
UStariffsandretaliatoryactionsby impactedcountrieswillremainavery importantwatchpointhereinNew Zealandandacrosskeyglobalbeef marketsovercomingmonths Pleasingly, NewZealandiscurrentlyatthebaseline UStariffrateof10%,puttingitonalevel playingfieldwithotherbigbeefexporters likeAustralia USconsumerdemand remainsstrong,andreducedbeef productionandlowleantrimdomestic productsuggestthatUSdemandfor highvolumesofleantrimimportsmay
continuedespiteextracoststobuyers
Ofcourse,thelowerKiwidollarcannot beignoredasacontributingfactorto ourexportreturnsinrecentmonths But afternearlytwoyearsofchallengesinthe redmeatsectorasawhole–withsheep meatpricingseeingthebottomofthe cyclethrough2023and2024–noone iscomplaining Interestrateshavefallen significantlyloweroverrecentmonths too,whichhelpsfarmingbusinesses onthecostside Furtherinterestrate movementsareanotherpointtowatch in2025,alongsidethe‘wildcard’ofglobal tradeandgeopolitics
Overall,thehandthat’sbeendealtto NewZealand’ssheepandbeeffarmersin 2025looksstrongand,ifthesectorplays itscardsright,thisislikelytohelpboost profitabilityintheredmeatsectorover theremainderoftheseason 29April2025
Monday, 19th May 2025 - 1.30pm
South Devons have pleasure in putting forward 23 Bulls in 2025
Kaimoa
Geneticresearchaims toimprovehealthand performanceofNew Zealandworkingdogs Earlyresearchinathree-yearprojecttobetter understandthegeneticmake-upofworking farmdogshasyieldedsomesurprisingresults.
TheRightDogfortheJobproject isworkingtobetterunderstand thegeneticsofNewZealand’s workingfarmdogs.LedbyTeKunenga kiPūrehuroaMasseyUniversityand supportedbyindustrypartnersand theMinistryforPrimaryIndustries (MPI)throughtheSustainableFood andFibreFuturesfund(SFFFutures), theprojectaimstoimprovethehealth andperformanceofthecountry’s iconicworkingdogbreeds,particularly HuntawaysandHeadingDogs.
Theresearchteam,ledbyProfessor MattLittlejohnfromtheSchoolof AgricultureandEnvironment,hasjust completedamajormilestoneinthe projectbyconductingwholegenome sequencingon249dogs.Thisanalysis uncovered19millionDNAvariations acrossthedogssampled,whichincluded 130Huntaways,104HeadingDogsand 15crossbreeds.Thegoalisthatthis informationwillsupportfuturebreeding decisions,helpingfarmersandbreeders improvethegenetichealthoftheirdogs. Identifyinggeneticrisks
Themainpurposeoftheresearchis toidentifygeneticvariants(differences inDNAsequences)thatcouldimpact thehealthorperformanceofworking
GLENANTHONY SIMMENTALS dogs.Manyofthesevariantshavebeen previouslyfoundinotherdogbreeds worldwide,butuntilnow,littlegenetic researchhasfocusedonNewZealand’s workingdogpopulations.
“Ofallthevariantslinkedtohealth traitsinotherbreeds,wedidn’thave muchofanideaaboutwhatmight alsobecarriedbyfarmdogs.Giventhe influenceofbreedsliketheBorderCollie onworkingdogs,wecouldguess,but usinggenomesequencingwecould knowforsure,andtherewereafew surprises,”ProfessorLittlejohnsays.
Ofthenearly400variantsknownto affecthealthorphysicaltraitsinother breeds,thestudyidentified27variants presentinthe249dogstested.Among these,fivehealth-relatedvariantswere foundatahighenoughfrequencyto warrantfuturetesting.Anunexpected findingwasthefrequencyoftwoof thesevariants-locatedintheCUBN andCLN8genes.Whilethenumber ofcarrieranimalsidentifiedwasnot extreme(2to8percentofdogs tested),thefrequenciesinNewZealand farmdogsisstillhigherthanother internationalbreeds.
Aheadingdogbeingsampledfortheproject.
THEFIVEKEYGENETICVARIANTS
IDENTIFIEDARE:
1. CUBNvariant–causescobalamin (vitaminB12)malabsorption,leading toserioushealthissuesifuntreated. Treatmentisavailable,soproactive testingcouldhelpidentifyaffected dogsandimprovebreedingdecisions. Sixcarrierswereidentified.
2. CLN8variant–leadstoa neurodegenerativedisordercausing lossofmotorfunctions,seizuresand blindness.Affecteddogsusuallyneed tobeeuthanisedearly.Thefrequency ofthisvariantwasquitehigh,with21 carriersidentified(mostlyHeading Dogs).
3. SGSHvariant–causesa neurodegenerativediseaseknown asmucopolysaccharidosisIIIA,which hasalreadybeenlinkedtoHuntaways. Fivecarrierswereidentifiedand routinetestingforthisvariantis recommendedduetotheseverityof thedisease.
4. SOD1variant–linkedtodegenerative myelopathy(DM),adiseasethat affectsthespinalcordandleadsto mobilityloss.Thisvarianthas‘variable penetrance’,meaningnotalldogswith twocopiesofthevariantwillshow symptoms,buttheriskshouldstillbe monitored,particularlyinHuntaways. Forty-sixcarrierswereidentified.
5. VWFvariant–causesVonWillebrand diseaseI(VWF1),whichleadsto excessivebleedingafterinjuryor surgery.Ninecarriersandoneaffected dogwerefoundinthestudy.This
variantalsoshowsvariablepenetrance, buttestingcouldstillhelpprevent healthcomplications. Preventinggeneticdiseases
Thesegeneticvariantsarerecessive-a typeofgenevariantthatonlyshowsits effectswhenanindividualhastwocopies ofthemutation.Dogsthatcarryasingle copyarecalledcarriersanddonotshow symptoms,thoughiftwocarriersmate, theirpuppiescouldinherittwocopiesof thevariant,leadingtohealthproblems. Bytestingdogsforthesevariantsand avoidingbreedingbetweencarriers, farmersandbreederscanminimisethe chanceofproducingpuppiesthatwill developthesediseases.
Theproject’sfindingsareastep towardsofferingfarmersandbreeders toolsformoreinformedandproactive breedingdecisions,ultimatelyleadingto healthier,morereliableworkingdogs. What’snext?
Duringthenextstageoftheproject, theresearchteamwillcollectlarge numbersofDNAsamplesfrom additionaldogs,aswellasworkwith farmersandvetstomeasurehealth andworkingperformancetraits.While theresultsabovewerebasedonknown variantsinotherbreeds,collectingtrait datashouldenableidentificationof neweffectsthatmaybeuniquetoNew Zealandfarmdogs.Thisinformation
couldbeusedtoprovideselection optionsfordogowners,notjustto avoidgeneticdiseasebutpotentiallyto improvedesirabletraits. Supportfromindustrypartners
Thisresearchprojecthasreceived valuablesupportfromMPI,aswellas severalindustrypartners,including FocusGenetics,Pāmufarmersand theNewZealandSheepDogTrials Association,whohelpedcollectDNA samplesfromdogsacrossthecountry. Thestudyalsoreceivedassistancefrom veterinarygroupssuchasVetlife,as wellasgenotypingservicesprovidedby AncestryandTheHelicalCompany.
SourceMasseyUniversity
Rock-Endisa familyaffair Rock-EndHerefordsisapolledHerefordstudrunbythe McCormickfamilyintheParahekaValleynearAriain theKingCountry.Thestudisrunon“TeMatai”a700ha hardhillcountryproperty,calving205registeredfemales alongside2500Romdaleewesand600hoggets.
Itwasfoundedalmost40yearsagoby PeteandKirstyMcCormickinHawke’s Bay.Petesaystheirfocushasnever changed“tobreedfertile,wellfleshed cattlethatperforminacommercial environmentwithtemperamentand constitutionbeingparamount.”
Abigchangeforthestudoccurred in2003,movingtoitscurrentlocation intheKingCountry.Addingextrascale butamorechallengingenvironment.“It issteeppapahillcountry,whichactsas aperfecttestinggroundforourcattle,” saysPete.
Fastforward20years thestudistoday managedbyPete andKirstywith sonJoshandhis wifeKarenwith supportfrom therestofthe family.Lanais responsiblefor advertisingand helpsonthefarm, Emmaprovides financialguidance, andSamhelpsoutwhen hevisits.PeteandJoshhandle mostoftheday-to-dayworkonthe farm.Kirstyworksparttimeasadistrict nurseanddoesmostoftheofficework whileKarenisalargeanimalvetand worksparttimeonthefarm.
foracoupleofweekstogobehinda wireduringcalving,sowecanweigh thematbirthandrecordanyrelevant information,”Joshsays.
“Thentheyarebackoutmaintaining highqualitypasturefirstlyforour eweswithlambsatfootandthenlater forourfinishinglambs.Ourcowsare farmedathighstockingrateswithsheep underneaththemeatingthebestquality feedforatleast11monthsoftheyear andareexpectedtoweanagoodcalf andgetbackincalfearly.”
It’sthispressurethefamily believehashelped driveimprovements infertilityand constitutionintheir cowherdoverthe past20years. Thehighlight ofthestud’syear istheirannual 2yrbullsale.This yeartheyhave catalogued22bulls forsaleonWednesday the29May.
“Weplacealotofpressureonour cowsthroughouttheyear.Theyonly comeforwardontotheeasiercountry
Thefeaturesireinthe saleisLimehillsStreakerwith11sons catalogued.“He’sanexcitingsireleaving heavilymuscledbullswithextralength, heperformedverywellintheBeef ProgenyTestin2018,rankingnumber oneacrossallbreedsformarblingand fattraitsandinthetopfewforgrowth traitstoo,”Joshsays.
Cowswinteredwithewes.
2024salebulls.
