Hoping for another successful Bull Week

A highlight at last year’s bull sales at Whangara Angus was the $92,000 paid for this fine specimen, bought by Tawa Hills Angus, for only $500 less than the top-priced Angus in New Zealand for the season. Pictured with the bull in question are Whangara’s Chris Richardson and Andrew Cribb, new owners Paige and Blair Crawshaw from Tawa Hills, and Whangara’s Tom Sanson. They are not yet two years old. File pictures

Excitement is building in the district’s Angus studs ahead of the annual rising two-year-old bull sales season from Friday, and into Bull Week from Monday.

This region maintains a proud reputation as the home of well bred, quality hill country cattle and that reputation should be further enhanced over the next week.

Almost all sales will take place on-farm this year, with no combined sale at the Matawhero saleyards this time around.

The East Coast Angus Bull Walk in early May painted a positive picture of how the young bulls had come through a difficult lead-up to the sales in the wake of the major weather events.

“We’ve got some good cattle in front of us again this year,” said auctioneer Neville Clark at the time.

He was predicting another highly successful sales season here, and the solid clearance rates for the Simmental and Hereford sales here in the past month reinforce that view.

“The improved weather since the major events has polished this year’s offering off nicely and they will be good to go.

“We’ve been able to maintain breed standards in this district,” Mr Clark said.

Angus Bull Week contributed more than $4.2 million to the regional economy last year in what was a record sales season for all breeds.

With the other breeds added to Bull Week’s Angus total the overall figure was $5.6m.

There are now nine Angus studs in Tairāwhiti — Whangara, Turihaua, Kaharau off Riverside Road, Orere at Pehiri, Tawa Hills at Motu, Tangihau at Rere, Kenhardt at Nuhaka, Turiroa near Wairoa and Ratanui at Tuai.

They will collectively put up around 380 young bulls for sale.

Turihaua will have 75 of them, Kaharau 64, Kenhardt 50, Turiroa 49, Tangihau 45, Whangara 34, Ratanui 33, Orere 24, and Tawa Hills 11.

Mr Clark believes the overall quality of the R2 bulls in the region is “as good as it’s ever been”.

PGG Wrightson genetics expert Emma Pollitt says the Angus breeders here all have strong line-ups, typical of their breeding programmes.

“Once again our local studs are offering teams of bulls of a high standard.

“Structural integrity is paramount, and is backed up by proven pedigrees and balanced data,” she said.

“Sales throughout the country have been mixed, perhaps as a result of an accumulation of factors — cow numbers, weather, interest rates and inflation.

“However, this region can be an anomaly, as we draw buyers from a wide geographical pool, and the quality of animal is guaranteed.

“We are hoping for another ripper week, but we are at the mercy of the bidders,” Ms Pollitt said.

Mr Clark believes there might be some softening in the prices paid this year.

“But at the end of the day, East Coast cattle are still, and will always be, value for money.”

The sales always attract solid numbers of would-be buyers and supporters, and the district never disappoints when it comes to the socialising associated with the sales season.

It’s not just about the bulls — it’s about the people too.

The sales start with Ratanui at 2pm on Friday, continuing with Orere, Tangihau then Kaharau on Monday.

On Tuesday Tawa Hills will sell theirs in the Matawhero saleyards rostrum, followed by Whangara and Turihaua.

Kenhardt take their turn on Wednesday along with Turiroa.