2025StudBull
Mt Mable – 40 years
When Allen and Maisie Friel started Mt Mable Angus Stud back in 1967, they probably never pictured the stud would be about to have its 40th onfarm sale.
Or so Megan Friel reckons.
The couple started off slow back then, under the guidance of Puketutu Stud owner, Mr Johnstone.
“[He] took Allen under his wing really and offered them a good heifer every year,” Megan says.
At first they would take their bulls to a combined sale in Taumaranui, roughly an hour’s drive from their farm in Ohura.
But that changed in 1985 with their first on-farm sale.
Megan, who joined the stud back in
1996, marrying Allen and Maisie’s son Kevin in 1998, says a lot has changed since that first sale.
Back then she says there were “80-something” registered herds of breeders, but these days there are probably only six or seven.
“I knew a lot of registered breeders but they might have only had a handful of cows, whereas now, there’s less registered breeders but we all have quite large herds.”
The one major focus for the business is the relationship between Mt Mable and their buyers.
Megan feels there is a problem for the new, younger breeders who can go to the big sales which have a large number of bulls for “phenomenal
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amounts of money” over a three or four day period.
She says it might seem easy for the younger ones who haven’t spent their life in the registered industry, even if they’ve been farming, to get some reg-
istered cows and start selling bulls.
“But they don’t understand that people are only prepared to pay that money if they know with certainty a) what they’re going to get and b) that you’re going to stand behind them.”
Offering30+ wellfleshed,relaxedAngusbulls froma58 yearbreedingprogramme
Chunky was sold to Oregon Angus at the 2024 sale for $14,000
Best Boy was sold to Bill Herrick for $21,000 at the 2023 sale.
of on-farm bull sales
It’s that willingness to stand behind their animals that Megan believes is what makes Mt Mable’s progeny a good investment.
“We have offered a money-back guarantee – not a credit, but money back.”
She says someone has invested their time into going to the sale, they’ve spent time on going through the catalogue, they’ve looked at the bulls and thought about how those bulls are going to cross with their cows.
“So it’s quite a passionate, involved process.”
But things might not go according to plan.
“You get the bull home and you um and ah over them in your front paddock and you imagine the weaners you’re going to sell, the cows you’re going to breed and he doesn’t breed, or whatever.
“And it’s really disappointing.
“So the last thing we would like [is] our buyers to be in that position that we force them to come back and buy another bull off us.
“You’ve already upset them once, why upset them twice?”
Having said that, Megan says they don’t have many comebacks and disappointed buyers.
She feels that if someone’s bull has
let down the buyer, the least the stud can do is give them their money back so they can go and buy a bull somewhere else.
“And they may choose to come back to you.
“It may be just one of those things.
“But you give people a choice, and it’s worked for us.”
Some of the families that have been buying Mt Mable bulls have been do-
ing so for at least two generations, or since even before the first sale at Ohura.
The stud moved to the 2200-acre Pukerimu Station in Norsewood in 2008, and then in 2016 decided to downsize the farming operation and move to a 650-acre property in Kumeroa, giving a good mix of hill country for the cows and flats for the Continued on next page . . .
Big Ted was sold to Motere Angus at the 2007 Beef Expo for $13,000.
Master sold to Turihaua Angus at the 2010 Beef Expo for $25,000.
Mt Mable – 40 years
Thor was sold to Rangatira Angus in 2012. He sired Rangatira 13-38 who sold for $100,000 in 2015 and had another 12 of his sons sold to other studs or used in the Rangatira herd.
. . . Continued from Page 3 bulls to be brought on slowly and naturally on grass and hay/silage.
The strong relationship with their buyers also translates to the company that prints their catalogue.
Megan says they have faced pressure from other sources to change the way they do things but sees no reason to change, especially when it comes to the catalogue.
“Why would I change? They know exactly what I want.”
While the company is in Hamilton, Megan says it’s not an issue with current technology.
“And that’s how we operate. We value relationships.”
She does admit it is a challenge to get new people to come to a sale as some would be more inclined to go to the events, such as in Gisborne or Canter-
She uses an excel spreadsheet which she then turns into a PDF which is sent off and within 48 hours the proof is sent back and as soon as it’s ordered, after about five days, the catalogues arrive.
bury which can take place over a week.
At Ohura, the biggest challenge was how far it was from Taumarunui and prospective buyers had to drive past the gates of two other breeders before they came to Mt Mable.
While generally those Mt Mable has dealt with in the past will continue to come back, it’s inevitable that people will drop off, retire, or decide to change their farming, which is why Megan feels it’s important to get new people coming through.
“That’s the challenge that all stud
breeders face.”
For the sale this year, Megan says the bulls are probably some of the best and adds that they’ve often had really good ones but their EBVs (estimated breeding values) haven’t been great.
She says this year they have a line of bulls and because they’ve been doing genomic testing and they’ve been “measuring everything you can measure”, the EBVs are starting to reflect the cattle.
She is hopeful the good EBVs will attract registered breeder interest.
Hat buddies - Kevin Friel with his “hat buddy” - this bull was sold to Burnview Station. We were told that he remained like a pet for his whole life
“The final fall of the hammer will tell the tale.”
In the past, they were always able to tell what sort of day they were going to have depending on whose car was at the property.
Now they are using bidr, an online platform that allows people to buy and sell livestock with real-time bidding.
“[It] has changed the dynamics of sales because you don’t know who is going to bid.”
Megan says they are fans of the plat-
form as it worked well for their heifer sale in April, with 127 watchers and 16 registered buyers.
“Of which I think about six bid and bought heifers.”
She says there were some buyers from the South Island who had never clapped eyes on the heifers.
“That was a step into uncharted waters for us, [but] we’re very happy with how it worked.”
Mt Mable’s 40th annual sale will be on June 9 at 625 Jackson Road, Kumeroa.
Megan and a bull sold in the 2015 sale.
Almost 40 years’ worth of catalogues.
Preparing for Rising 2-year-old Angus Bull sales
Preparations are well underway for the 2025 ‘Rising 2-year-old Angus Bull’ sales which are just around the corner.
Sale bulls are the result of a 3-year cycle that starts with the selection of bulls being used for mating, to calving and the bulls growing on for two years after that. It’s inspiring to see the momentum and dedication within Hawke’s Bay Angus and the breed-
ers are excited for this sale season, to showcase the great line up of Angus Bulls across the various studs.
Hawke’s Bay is recognised as a region that breeds great Angus cattle. Although it’s been a variable farming season throughout the Hawke’s Bay region the bulls being presented for sale this year have come along very nicely.
There is no doubting the passion Angus breeders have for the Angus
breed, a breed well known for their hardiness and ability to handle and adapt to a range of conditions, and to be highly productive throughout the year. With the variation in topography and stretching from the Coast to the Ranges, the Hawke’s Bay Angus stud breeders have the genetics to suit all breeding programmes.
Prior to the actual sale days that take place through May and June, clients/ buyers and agents are invited to attend Bull Walks. Bull Walks provide an excellent opportunity to come and have a look at what studs around the region
are producing prior to sale day, to meet and talk to the breeders and learn about their breeding programmes. Buyers are always welcome to call and organise viewings at any other time if they are unable to make the Bull Walk.
As with previous years, sales in the Hawkes Bay this year are a mix of onfarm auctions and sales by Private Treaty.
Hawke’s Bay Angus Association members wish buyers all the best with their bull purchases and breeding programmes making good use of Angus genetics.
Rachael O’Grady, Secretary Hawke’s Bay Angus Association, Shamrock Angus Stud.
Hawke’s Bay Angus Association President Sam Mann, Glengyle Angus Stud.
Preparing for a Bull Walk.
Exceptional demand for elite dairy genetics
Multi-generational dispersal sales attract nationwide attention, indicating dairy sector’s current buoyancy
A couple of April dispersal sales of elite multi-generational dairy herds indicate the current strength of the market in the sector, and continued positivity among farmers, who are increasingly taking advantage of purchasing online.
In early April highly respected stud Makuri Holsteins, Stratford, offered a complete dispersal of milking cows and mated heifers, comprising 92 catalogue lots. Averaging $8505, the top priced cow reached $17,000.
Shortly after, over two days, Thorn-
lea Jerseys, Otorohonga, undertook a complete dispersal of a herd that represented four generations farming Jerseys by the Riddell family. Thornlea’s dispersal, consisting of 408 catalogue lots, achieved a $3986 overall average, with in-milk cows averaging $4155, incalf heifers $4781, and calves $3165. Thornlea’s top priced lot, an in-calf heifer, changed hands for $30,000. bidr was an important factor in each of these sales. For the Makuri sale 89 buyers registered online, placing 42 per cent of the total bids and purchasing 41 per cent of the catalogue lots. Meanwhile, with the Thornlea sale, online buyers bid on 96 per cent of the total lots and purchased 63 per cent of
the offering across the two days. Later in April an organic dairy herd sold in Whakatane, with the mixed age cows averaging $3342, in-calf heifers $3400, and rising one-year-old calves $1515. Complete organic herds are rarely offered to the market, and this sale represented an excellent result for the vendors. Additional elite dairy herd dispersal sales are scheduled over the next few weeks, including in Waikato and further south. With regular enquiry from plenty of farmers who are still motivated to enhance their herds with the best genetics available, this trend of strong results is likely to continue.
Supplied by PGG Livestock.
Photo courtesy Cowshotz Livestock Photography.
Image supplied by PGG Wrightson, taken by Ben Doubleday.
Genetic research aims to improve health and
Early research in a three-year project to better understand the genetic make-up of working farm dogs has yielded some surprising results.
The Right Dog for the Job project is working to better understand the genetics of New Zealand’s working farm dogs. Led by Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa Massey University and supported by industry partners and the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) through the Sustainable Food and Fibre Futures fund (SFF Futures), the project aims to improve the health and performance of the country’s iconic working dog breeds, particularly Huntaways and Heading Dogs.
The research team, led by Professor Matt Littlejohn from the School of Agriculture and Environment, has just completed a major milestone in the project by conducting whole genome sequencing on 249 dogs. This analysis uncovered 19 million DNA variations across the dogs sampled, which included 130 Huntaways, 104 Heading Dogs and 15 crossbreeds. The goal is that this information will support future breeding decisions, helping farmers and breeders improve the genetic health of their dogs.
Identifying genetic risks
The main purpose of the research is to identify genetic variants (differences in DNA sequences) that could impact the health or performance of working dogs. Many of these variants have been previously found in other dog breeds worldwide, but until now,
little genetic research has focused on New Zealand’s working dog populations.
“Of all the variants linked to health traits in other breeds, we didn’t have much of an idea about what might also be carried by farm dogs. Given the influence of breeds like the Border Collie on working dogs, we could guess, but using genome sequencing we could know for sure, and there were a few surprises,” Professor Littlejohn says.
Of the nearly 400 variants known to affect health or physical traits in other breeds, the study identified 27 variants present in the 249 dogs tested. Among these, five health-related variants were found at a high enough frequency to warrant future testing. An unexpected finding was the frequency of two of these variants - located in the CUBN and CLN8 genes. While the number of carrier animals identified was not extreme (2 to 8 per cent of dogs tested), the frequencies in New Zealand farm dogs is still higher than other international breeds.
The five key genetic variants identified are:
1. CUBN variant – causes cobalamin (vitamin B12) malabsorption, leading to serious health issues if untreated. Treatment is available, so proactive testing could help identify affected dogs and improve breeding decisions. Six carriers were identified.
2. CLN8 variant – leads to a neurodegenerative disorder causing loss of motor functions, seizures and blind-
ness. Affected dogs usually need to be euthanised early. The frequency of this variant was quite high, with 21 carriers identified (mostly Heading Dogs).
3. SGSH variant – causes a neurodegenerative disease known as mu-
copolysaccharidosis IIIA, which has already been linked to Huntaways. Five carriers were identified and routine testing for this variant is recommended due to the severity of the disease.
A heading dog being sampled for the project. Photo/Pam Stephen Photography.
performance of New Zealand working dogs
Huntaways, heading dogs and crossbreeds have been sampled for the project.
Photo/Pam Stephen Photography.
4. SOD1 variant – linked to degenerative myelopathy (DM), a disease that affects the spinal cord and leads to mobility loss. This variant has ‘variable penetrance’, meaning not all dogs with two copies of the variant will show symptoms, but the risk should still be monitored, particularly in Huntaways. Forty-six carriers were identified.
5. V WF variant – causes Von Willebrand disease I (VWF1), which leads to excessive bleeding after injury or surgery. Nine carriers and one affected dog were found in the study. This variant also shows variable penetrance, but testing could still help prevent health complications.
Preventing genetic diseases
These genetic variants are recessive - a type of gene variant that only shows its effects when an individual has two copies of the mutation. Dogs that carry a single copy are called carriers and do not show symptoms, though if two carriers mate, their puppies could inherit two copies of the variant, leading to health problems. By testing dogs for these variants and avoiding breeding between carriers, farmers and breeders can minimise the chance of producing puppies that will develop these diseases.
The project’s findings are a step towards offering farmers and breeders tools for more informed and proac -
tive breeding decisions, ultimately leading to healthier, more reliable working dogs.
What’s next?
During the next stage of the project, the research team will collect large numbers of DNA samples from additional dogs, as well as work with farmers and vets to measure health and working performance traits. While the results above were based on known variants in other breeds, collecting trait data should enable identification of new effects that may be unique to New Zealand farm dogs. This information could be used to provide selection options for dog owners, not just to avoid genetic disease but potentially to improve desirable traits.
Support from industry partners
This research project has received valuable support from MPI, as well as several industry partners, including Focus Genetics, Pāmu farmers and the New Zealand Sheep Dog Trials Association, who helped collect DNA samples from dogs across the country. The study also received assistance from veterinary groups such as Vetlife, as well as genotyping services provided by Ancestry and The Helical Company.
Source Massey University
Passionate about breeding
Platform Hereford Stud is owned and operated by Mark and Charmaine Will. Located on their 840ha hill country farm ‘Awatahuna’, 27km north-east of Masterton in Bideford, the farm runs 60 stud cows, 200 commercial cows, 1700 breeding ewes while finishing all young stock.
The stud was established in 2017 with foundation females came from Duncraigen Stud in Southland (5), Ngakouka Stud in Dannevirke (5) and Panorama Stud in Feilding (5). Slowly we have increased our stud numbers to 60 and we are aiming to reach 80 stud cows.
In 2023 we purchased 11 in-calf stud horned cows from dispersal sale at Wayne and Maggie Williams ‘Glacier Horned Herefords’ in Fox Glacier.
“We saw this as a great opportunity to buy in excellent genetics from such a prestigious stud that had more than 50 years of breeding. Although we are not going to specifically be horned breeders which is unfortunate and is due to the decline of the horned cattle market, we do however believe that horned blood is essential in developing a high performing herd while increasing the bone and strength,” says Charmaine.
This year we have for sale via pri-
vate treaty 5x R2yr old horned stud bulls that are full Glacier genetics.
Notable sires are Glacier Unique 591 and Glacier Y Unique 786 who sold for $28,000 in 2023 to Pourakino Downs Stud in Southland.
“We have been very pleased with these bulls, they are exceptionally quiet, well grown with good EBV data to match and we will be retaining another two of these bulls for our own in herd use. They are very good functional bulls with good bone and constitution”.
“We are very passionate about breeding Herefords and really en-
joy working with them. They are renowned for their quiet temperament. They are good looking cattle, and you can tell them apart easily. We are focused on breeding structurally sound, performance recorded and quiet bulls for commercial farmers”
Bulls are BVD tested, vaccinated and carcass scanned. We welcome visitors and enquiries anytime.
Follow us on Facebook @ Platform Hereford Stud
Mark & Charmaine Will 06 372 4896 022 694 2362 email: platformfarm@gmail.com
Charmaine with the Glacier horned bulls that are for sale.
Dandaleith Angus celebrating 75 years of breeding
Dandaleith Angus are celebrating 75 years of breeding Angus cattle this year and are excited to bring a great lineup of 2-year-old bulls to sale. While a lot has changed over the years their passion for cattle is something that is generational. It all started when Bill Philip (Willy & John’s Father, George’s Grandfather) emigrated from Scotland and later started Dandaleith Angus in 1950 at Anui.
Willy carried on the Stud from Bill, and when John bought into the Stud, the cows were bought out to their 870 ha Ratanui hill country block near Weber. Bill’s Grandson – George, is now back on the Weber hill country block running the cows.
The team at Dandaleith Angus strive to produce great mothers who produce great calves, targeting breeding a medium framed cow who are great mothers – with rigorous culling on feet, udders, jaw, frame size. Over the years they have focused on temperament, growth, structure, and carcass traits to add value to their customers cattle operation.
All cows are mated as yearlings and must have a calve as a 2-yearold, and get back in calf quickly to remain in the herd. A Dandaleith Angus cow must consistently produce a quality calf right from calving as a 2-year-old.
The Dandaleith Angus herd of
220 strong cows, all have their calves tagged and weighed at birth. While the Stud is a big focus for their operation the breeding cows are ultimately there to complement the 4000 breeding ewes. The cows are put to work to improve pasture quality and performance for the commercial sheep flock.
After weaning the best bull calves are sent into Anui, their 210-hectare finishing block on the outskirts of Dannevirke, where they grow them out for sale.
Dandaleith Angus have another great consistent line up of bulls for sale this year, they came through last year’s challenging Autumn well. A few of the key sires with progeny coming through this year are Turihaua Eastern Star - The sale topping bull from Turihaua’s 2022 sale. Clunie Range Plantation - An Australian bull used in their AI program that Willy spotted on a tour to Australia and has bred well for them. Dandaleith 214 – a Home bred bull sired by Kaharau George, he is a moderate thick Bull who has been breeding well for them for the last 3 years and is as robust as ever.
The Dandaleith Angus annual bull sale is the 10th of June this year, with the sale starting at 10:00 am and Bulls available for viewing from 8:00am at 102 Laws Road, Dannevirke. It will be well catered and they look forward to celebrating 75 years of breeding.
Sire Bull Dandaleith 214
George Philip at the Weber hill block
Sam Mann loves the challenge of his job as
By AJ McIntyre, trustee Pukemiro Station.
The 1763-hectare property is based 15 minutes from Dannevirke.
It’s been two years since Sam took on the role, and the challenge of managing staff, cadets and the overall running of the business.
The original Pukemiro block of 566 hectares was bequeathed by the late Mr Donald (Don) Williams, forming the ADB Williams Charitable Trust.
As opportunities arose a neighbouring farm to Pukemiro, known as Awakeri, was purchased, which grew the home block to 1023 hectares.
Pukemiro can be described as dry during summer but with good growth through spring, autumn, and winter.
With this summer dry aspect, the trustees of ADB Williams decided a summer-safe property was needed, and Otawa (740 hectares), situated in Coonoor and running up to the Puketoi Range on the western side, was purchased.
While the trust has been training sheep and beef students since 2014, an on-farm cadetship was established in 2018.
The cadetship runs a two-year programme with EIT (Eastern Institute of Technology) being their curriculum provider, with three cadets selected each year giving a total of six cadets on-farm.
Successful applicants to the cadetship are fully funded by the trust with all their course fees and living expenses as well as a dog allowance and a
small working allowance also provided.
Running around 16,000 Stock units with a 75:25 sheep-to-cattle ratio. Sam brought with him a new cattle policy, running on the Otawa block 200 Angus cows put to an Angus bull with the heifer progeny from these cows retained for the Otawa and Pukemiro herd.
The Pukemiro herd consists of 200 Angus cows also and these are bulled to a Charolais, all bull calves from these cows are finished at Pukemiro, aimed to be all finished before their second winter weighing 325 CW yielding 55%.
Sam says the hybrid vigour with the Angus Charolais cross allows us to easily achieve our targeted growth rates for our 20-month bull finishing programme.
He says he likes the Angus Charolais cross heifers for their flexibility as an exit if the season isn’t too kind and feels they are an easy class of stock to market.
With that said, we like to take the heifers through to a finished product at 275kg minimum to achieve handpicked premiums.
What Sam likes about the breeding policy is the increase in weaning weights from the Charolais cross calves.
On the farm, they have recently scanned some of the Charolais cross prime heifers with the intention of comparing the MEQ data at the works. Continued on next page . . .
Mann Family – Emma and Sam (back row) L-R front row George, Archie and Charlie
The entrance to Pukemiro Station
Operations Manager of ADB Williams Trust
They are still waiting on these re
sults and are excited to see them.
On the sheep side of the business, 5000 Romney ewes are run on Pukemiro, 2000 ewes are mated to a Romney ram the remaining 3000 are mated to a terminal ram with the aim of all progeny finished on-farm, they try to maximise the number of ewes/
hogget’s that go to a terminal ram to capture the hybrid vigour and carcass attributes these rams provide.
Otawa is running 2500-3000 ewes under a similar model to Pukemiro with both farms breeding their own replacements.
Being the more summer-safe block Otawa has a later lambing date by
around a month, they find these later born lambs fit well into their winter lamb finishing programme.
They are finishing roughly 2500 lambs through the winter; they like the diversity between both properties having Pukemiro finishing a large number of lambs off mum and through the summer and Otawa providing the
lambs for the winter finishing.
When asked what a cadet’s year looks like Sam says first-year cadets spend the majority of the year with Willie Edgecombe our maintenance manager learning all basics of farming, tractor driving, fencing, vehicle maintenance, water systems and maintenance and chainsaws while doing one day per week in the classroom working towards the completion of Level 3 in Agricultural farming systems.
The year twos work closely with the Stock Manager Jack Scahill at Pukemiro and Will Hands, who is the Block manager at Otawa, thus expanding their knowledge in animal husbandry and stockmanship.
Sam says that the second-year cadets really enjoy the independence they are given and learn a lot from this as by the end of the year they have gained their Level 4 in Agricultural Farming systems.
The cadets are looked after by pastoral care manager, Andrea Sutherland.
Sam says the pastoral side of Pukemiro gives the cadets a good grounding in knowing how to cook and clean for themselves.
Farm profitability is the Trust’s biggest driver and this allows them to continue to support and assist young people into agriculture as per Don Williams’ wishes.
Sam feels the terminal sire aspect of the farming business is one of the many ways to achieve this.
Monday,19thMay2025-1.30pm
Cattle at Pukemiro Station
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Good cattle handling by guiding instincts
If working cattle through your yards is one of those man versus beast battles you put off until you absolutely must, then regular weigh sessions to monitor each animal’s progress is not likely to happen when it should. Likewise, if the yards need repair or are in the wrong location for convenient use its not helping the farm workflow efficiently.
Yard design and layout that lets you do the handling tasks safely and efficiently is important for animal and operator. Stress free handling pays of in spades. Animal stress means high cortisol levels, these take up to 48 hours to ease off, in the meantime the animal is not putting on weight.... at a kilo a day that could be up to 4 kilos lost growth. Staff and operator stress does nothing for “getting the best out of the day.”
At Technipharm we aim to install as much animal behaviour science in our Smart Yard designs as possible. “Guiding the animal by design, not by stick and mouth,” is the motto. Best yard design is understanding what needs to be achieved by the farmer and working towards delivering that in an outcome from using the yards.
Complimenting a great Smart Yard is a great Cattle Handler! The focus of most yard work accumulates at the handling area. Many farmers are still farming well over and beyond the years their fathers farmed. Often, they may have a lingering rugby or farm injury and more handling work, in summary
“it’s hard work.” But with the right gear like the TechniPharm Infinity ™ hydraulically driven handlers this is very manageable and more enjoyable.
The fact is if you handle 500 head and do a few jobs in one session like drenching, tagging and weighing and you operate the handler manually, you likely have little energy left at the end of the day. Change to a hydraulic handler and you will still have energy for other things be that work or pleasure. Plus, it’s a lot less stressful for the stock. “One of our farming clients has two TechniPharm handlers, one manual one hydraulic. With a lot of service bulls and fattening stock there is a lot going on. “It’s an easy choice which one he rather works with.”
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Red meat industry’s first Dragon’s Den
An innovative idea for transforming mechanically deboned meat (MDM) into a meat flake for seasoning has taken top honours in the Meat Industry Association’s (MIA) first-ever Dragon’s Den competition.
Renyu Zhang, a senior scientist with AgResearch, has been named the winner of the inaugural contest, which challenged Kiwis to develop ground-breaking ideas to advance New Zealand’s red meat processing industry.
A total of 42 entries were received, with Zhang beating four other finalists to secure a prize of up to $10,000 to develop a business case and progress the idea into a research project.
Zhang’s Umamification of mechanically-deboned meat (MDM) proposal outlined a novel process to transform lower-value MDM into a meat flake with high umami — savoury flavour — which would be stable at room temperature and have uses as a protein enhancer and snack food.
Sirma Karapeeva, chief executive of the Meat Industry Association, said the high calibre of entries made selecting the five finalists and ultimately the winner a challenging task.
“The competition recognised that many people have transformative ideas but may lack the resources to bring them to life.
“We sought bold, innovative concepts in meat industry research and development that align with the Government’s ambitious goal of doubling
export value.
“All the finalists deserved credit, however, Renyu Zhang’s idea stood out both for the innovative process proposed and the opportunities for global interest in such a product.”
Zhang said he was pleased to win the competition and get an opportunity to take the project to the next stage.
“I’m honoured to win this inaugural Dragon’s Den event, and grateful to MIA for this opportunity,” he said.
“We have exciting opportunities to turn low-value streams from the meat industry into high-value, uniquely Kiwi products that can strengthen our global presence and add to our unique Kiwi taste profile. I look forward to working with industry partners to bring this vision to life.”
The Dragon’s Den final took place at the joint AgResearch-MIA Meat Innovation Workshop in Palmerston North on 11 March. Contestants each had five minutes to pitch their ideas to the judging panel, followed by five minutes of Q&A with the judges and audience.
The judging panel featured industry leaders, SirmaKarapeeva, Andrew Clark, Investment Manager, Ministry for Primary Industries’ Sustainable Food and Fibre Team, Steve Cartwright, Business Manager, Healthcare, ANZCO Foods and Bruce Fyfe, General Manager, Commercial, Auckland Meat Processors.
Source MIA
Renyu Zhang’s idea stood out both for the innovative process proposed and the opportunities for global interest in such a product.
The Hall of Fame is exclusively reserved for animals whose achievements have had, and will continue to have, a profound influence on the profitability of New Zealand’s dairy farmers and in-turn, the economy.
To be inducted, a Bull or Dam must have had a significant impact on breeding performance or production efficiency, either through its own ge -
netic contributions or its influence on the course of dairy genetics during its era.
Animals are considered for the Hall of Fame against a range of criteria so if inducted they are star performers.
Currently there are 60 animals in the LIC Hall of Fame however, two bulls we are particularly proud of - Okura Integrity and Fairmount Mint-Edition.
311013 - Okura Integrity - Jersey
First bull of any breed to achieve eight years in Premier Sires. The first Hall of Fame inductee to be part of a current Premier Sires Team.
• Inducted: 2022
• Breeder: Lyna & Luke Beehre
• Sire pathway: Lynbrook Terrific ET S3J X Mitchells Likabull SJ3
• Progeny test year: 2011
• Premier Sires Year/s: 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019
• Total inseminations: 229,300
• Herd tested daughters: 35,889
• SPS sons purchased: 31
• Premier Sires sons: 7
105038 – Fairmount Mint Edition – Holstein-Friesian
Mint-Edition found huge favour across the country and the globe. He spearheaded the Holstein-Friesian team for several years and had outstanding success as a sire of sons. The 2009 Mahoe Trophy winner.
• Inducted: 2015
• Breeders: Barry & Linda Old
• Sire pathway: Top Deck Ko Pierre x Valden Curious Paladium
• Progeny test year: 2005
• Premier Sires Year/s: 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012
• Total inseminations: 785, 831
• Herd tested daughters: 92, 462
• SPS sons purchased (sampled): 120 (112)
• Premier Sires sons: 31
Exciting new genetics for Kaharau
Kaharau Angus is heading into the 2025 Bull selling period with a terrific season behind it.
We were preparing for a drought, offloading lambs before Christmas and wow, what a turnaround. With 500mls plus rain over the New Year period and rain and warmth ongoing since then, the stock is looking magnificent. A great season coupled with a lift in beef and sheep returns, after a tough couple of years on the East Coast, has really lifted farmer morale.
We are super excited about the 2025 crop of Bulls with sons of new genetics introduced in 2022. New sires Meadowslea Mountain Man 20R705 and Shian Sherson 20.807 have bred particularly well for us, Taimate Roy 20R38, who has had semen exported to Musgrave Angus in the USA, home-bred keeper bull Kaharau Lionheart 20R328 and Rangatira Charlie 1034. Sons are also available from genuine, authentic Kaharau-bred sires – Kaharau Prince 18P333 and Kaharau Lennox 19Q343.
All these sires are magnificent bulls – strong bloodlines selected for their terrific pedigrees, their all-round balance and packed with phenotype and performance.
The 2025 Bull Team has all been genomiced, which increases the accuracy of Angus Breedplan EBVs for young Angus bulls, with limited or no progeny, daughters, or carcass information.
The highlight for Kaharau in 2024 was the purchase of Tangihau Ultimate 22T549 for an on-farm NZ record high price of $135,000 in half shares with Turiroa Angus. In our view, he was the ‘ultimate’ bull of the season, and we look forward to his progeny in 2027.
The purchase of Taimate Marlborough
22T150 with Ratanui Angus added to the Sire team, plus a stunning Donor cow, with Turiroa Angus, from the Atahua dispersal sale, Atahua Kawa 19.630.
Kaharau continues to invest heavily in their breeding programme to improve not only their own herd but also to pass on quality genetics to their clients.
Weaner sales have gone incredibly well around the country. Congratulations to local Kaharau client Marika Station for achieving the top price at the Matawhero Weaner Fair for their average 300 kg steers.
It is continually rewarding as a breeder to receive such positive feedback about how Kaharau cattle are performing for our clients and hearing of their success in the marketplace and to witness Kaharau cattle regularly topping the weaner fairs, hanging up heavy on the hook and achieving market premiums. We are so appreciative of the ongoing support from our Kaharau clients who keep coming back year on year to buy their bulls.
The East Coast Angus Bull Walk is on Saturday 17th and Sunday 18th May, with viewing of the Kaharau bulls at 9am on Sunday.
The E-Catalogue and videos of the 2025 sale team ‘Walking’ can be viewed on the Kaharau website from mid-May – www.kaharauangus.co.nz
Penny and Nick really welcome viewing of the bulls prior to the sale, so please get in touch and we hope to see you all at the 2025 Kaharau Bull Sale at 4.30pm on Monday, 23rd June for great black bulls and Kaharau hospitality.
Contact: Penny Hoogerbrug - 0276557104 Nick Carr - 021656023
Taimate Marlborough 22T150.
Tangihau Ultimate 22T549.
nProve Beef simplifies bull selection
by Sarah Powdrell, Beef + Lamb New Zealand
At Beef + Lamb New Zealand (B+LNZ), we endeavour to make bull selection simpler. The integration of nProve Beef into our suite of Better Beef Breeding resources is another way we’re helping farmers make confident, informed decisions.
Launched in March, the nProve Beef online tool allows commercial farmers to easily identify stud breeders that rank highly for the traits that matter most to them. It’s a user-friendly way to match breeding decisions with individual farm goals.
Dedicated sessions within our Better Beef Breeding workshops guide farmers on how to use nProve Beef to select genetics that meet their individual breeding objectives.
Bulls represent a major investment, both financially and genetically. These workshops lead farmers through the process of setting clear breeding goals and using both genetic and structural information to assess sale bulls.
Our hands-on workshops, which will be held throughout the country in the lead-up to the bull buying season, are designed to help farm-
ers select animals that are structurally sound, meet their production targets, and deliver long-term value.
As part of the Informing New Zealand Beef (INZB) programme — a seven-year initiative to drive genetic progress in the beef industry — B+LNZ Genetics have developed three new beef cattle indexes: Maternal (NZ$Maternal), Terminal (NZ$Terminal) and Beef-on-Dairy
(NZ$BeefxDairy) designed for New Zealand’s farming systems.
The workshops also provide participants practical knowledge on how to use selection indexes, confidently interpret bull sale catalogues, and make well-informed decisions.
These are just one part of our broader Better Beef Breeding toolkit, which also includes online learning modules, resource books,
and podcasts — all available on the B+LNZ website.
With bull buying season just around the corner, now’s the time to take advantage of these resources and make confident, informed decisions about the future of your herd. Resources
To view these resources, head to beeflambnz.com and search “Better Beef Breeding”
A red meat renaissance made sweeter by a better than average growing season
By Jen Corkran
The North Island experienced varied conditions over summer and autumn 2025 with farmers on the East Coast faring best after welcome, and needed, Christmas and early new year rain which set most producers in this region up for a reasonable summer in terms of homegrown feed. A major positive for sheep and beef farmers over the last six months has been the sharp improvement in sheep meat returns. Beef pricing has been the cherry on top, with weekon-week record-breaking farmgate prices through March and April.
Optimism is a welcome guest at the New Zealand farming table after two challenging years in the red meat sector. The fundamentals behind higher prices for beef and sheep meat are stronger global demand, especially from the UK and EU for lamb, and the US for beef. Lower global supply of both sheep and beef in 2025, and a lower Kiwi exchange rate are also helping support export prices.
The beef schedule for the North Island across bull beef, prime, and cull cow continues to hit record highs with average pricing up to 50% above the 5-year average. In late-April 2025, the AgriHQ NI bull price was NZD 7.65/kg carcass weight (cwt), P2 steer at NZD 7.55/kg cwt, and
manufacturing cow at NZD 56.10/ kg cwt. Average export value for beef hit a record in February 2025 at NZD 10.85/kg Free On Board (FOB), with this number matched again in March 2025 and close to the previous high in July 2022 of NZD 10.84/kg FOB.
In March 2025, the total value of beef exports (provisional) hit an all-time high at NZD 534 million, 32 million more than the previous high in May 2024. This is despite the monthly volume of exports only being the ninth highest in the past five years.
The much-talked-about United States beef herd rebuild is the key driver behind New Zealand’s higher prices for lean trim (grinding) product. The US remains the biggest market for New Zealand beef in both volume and value with just over 182,000 tonne of beef shipped in 2024, worth NZD 1.84 billion. For New Zealand, this primarily includes bull beef and manufacturing cow, but all cohorts of cattle are benefiting from improved pricing. US demand is the wind in the sails of New Zealand’s current beef pricing.
Lamb farmgate pricing is also strong, sitting at 20% above the 5-year average, though not quite at the record levels of spring 2022. The North Island AgriHQ lamb price is sitting around NZD 8.70/kg cwt
in late April, up NZD 2.55/kg cwt from the same weeks of April 2024. The average export value for lamb in February reached NZD 13.48/kg cwt, helped by strong easter chilled trade. This was the second highest average monthly price recorded in NZD terms, just behind March 2022.
What to watch US tariffs and retaliatory actions by impacted countries will remain a very important watch point here in
New Zealand and across key global beef markets over coming months. Pleasingly, New Zealand is currently at the baseline US tariff rate of 10%, putting it on a level playing field with other big beef exporters like Australia. US consumer demand remains strong, and reduced beef production and low lean trim domestic product suggest that US demand for high volumes of lean trim imports may continue despite extra costs to buyers.
Of course, the lower Kiwi dollar cannot be ignored as a contributing factor to our export returns in recent months. But after nearly two years of challenges in the red meat sector as a whole – with sheep meat pricing seeing the bottom of the cycle through 2023 and 2024 – no one is complaining. Interest rates have fallen significantly lower over recent months too, which helps farming businesses on the cost side. Further interest rate movements are another point to watch in 2025, alongside the ‘wild card’ of global trade and geopolitics.
Overall, the hand that’s been dealt to New Zealand’s sheep and beef farmers in 2025 looks strong and, if the sector plays its cards right, this is likely to help boost profitability in the red meat sector over the remainder of the season.
Glengyle Angus, home of KayJay FatBoy T641, look at that type!
Jen Corkran, Animal Protein Analyst, RaboResearch, Rabobank NZ.
