Hereford sales reflect economic times

The Wilencote Hereford stud at Ngatapa recorded a sale high price of $13,000 in their on-farm rising 2-year-old bull auction on Wednesday afternoon. Photo / Emma Pollitt

The red bulls went on their way to new homes this week in on-farm sales at the district’s two Hereford studs with prices that reflected the current economic climate.

Wilencote Polled Herefords at Ngatapa sold 26 out of the 29 rising 2-year-olds they put up for auction.

Their sale high price was $13,000 for a bull sold to Okare Station in the Wairoa district, and the average across the sale was $7980.

“The bulls were well presented and received the buyer interest they deserved,” auctioneer Neville Clark from Carrfields said.

“They were a consistent line of strong hill country cattle.”

Studmaster Matt Humphreys said they were “extremely rapt” with the outcome of the sale.

“We had lots of repeat buyers, and some new ones as well who supported us.”

Clark said both the Wilencote and Mokairau Herefords sales were “satisfactory given all that’s going on in the beef industry and in comparison to the rest of the country”.

“It was a solid result for both studs,” he said.

Mokairau at Whangara got 19 out of 21 of the young bulls away to new homes.

Mokairau Herefords at Whangara sold their R2s Wednesday morning, also on-farm. "We're in it for the long haul," was how studmaster Peter Reeves put it afterwards. Photo / Emma Pollitt

PGG Wrightson genetics representative Emma Pollitt was at both sales.

“The bulls at both studs were very well presented, super docile and a credit to the breed,” she said.

“The averages achieved by Mokairau ($5833) and Wilencote were a reflection of the economic climate.”

The sales attention switches to the black cattle later this month when the region’s Angus studs present their line-ups for sale.

That process starts with on-farm sales at the Tangihau and Kaharau Angus studs on June 24.