A record $41,000 was paid for an Angus yearling bull, Twin Oaks T019, at the Twin Oaks Calving Ease Angus sale for Roger and Susan Hayward, at Waipapa station, Te Akau, Waikato.
The buyer on bidr was Craig Davie-Martin, a Northland breeder of calving ease Angus genetics under the trading name MVP Ag, Waiotira.
Davie-Martin said the yearling bull by Australian-bred Millah Murrah Paratrooper has excellent calving ease direct (CED), gestation length, birthweight and growth figures plus very good body depth and thickness right through.
MVP already has a Paratrooper half-brother bought last year that has been performing very well.
Twin Oaks also sold a bull for $11,000 to Maranui Angus, Waihi, and in total sold 55 out of 57 bulls offered, with an average price of $5458.
Stokman Angus, Rotorua, had a top price of $15,000 made four times, twice by Davie-Martin.
The other two high prices were paid by Tangihau Angus and Komako Angus.
Stokman sold 88 from 108 offered and averaged $4317.
The Davie-Martins have bought from Stokman before and in 2018 they paid $27,000 for Real Deal as a yearling, which became the No 1 bull in New Zealand for CED.
Hallmark Angus, Hawke’s Bay, sold all 30 bulls offered, with an average of $3770 and a top price of $6000, made twice.
Takapoto Angus, Cambridge, sold 22 from 33 offered with a top price of $4400 and an average of $2690.
Black Ridge Angus, Taumarunui, sold 17 from 20 yearlings for an average $3011 and a top price of $6500 paid by Mike Tibby.
Riverlee Herefords, Kimbolton, sold all 58 of their two-year bulls offered, averaging a steady $3024, with a top of $3300.
Riverton Ezicalve Herefords, Whanganui, sold 85 of 90 with an average of $3300 and a top of $5600 paid by Ardo Herefords.
Ardo Ezicalve Herefords, Marton, sold 20 of 25 two-year bulls with an average price of $2724, and 67 of 88 yearling bulls, averaging $2986.
The top price was $6200 paid for lot 62 yearling bull Ardo Trust 2065 by Stephen Lyons-Montgomery, Belhavel Herefords, Rotorua.
Vendor Will Morrison said the averages were down on recent years by as much as $500, reflective of the tough economic times.
A good selection of bulls remains available for paddock sales and Ardo has large orders outside of auction day.
“A number of clients are making some of their bulls do an extra season or are expecting more matings from the bulls, so they have paused or pruned back their purchasing,” he said.
