13,000GNS TOPS INAUGURAL WAGYU SALE
Hexham Auctioneer Drew Patrick opens the sale
Cow & Calf outfit makes 13,000gns
Females average £6,352
Embryos level at £868 apiece with top price of 1,200gns
The first official Collective Wagyu Sale in the UK saw a top price of 13,000gns and a good trade for live animals, semen and embryos. Hexham & Northern Marts (HNM) teamed up with the Wagyu Breeders Association (WBA) on Saturday 30th June at the Tynedale Farmers Suite, Hexham, to present one of the UK’s first ‘virtual’ sales without animals present, with purchasers able to buy either in person or online.
Heading the trade at 13,000gns for Delta Wagyu, High Warrendale Farm, Warter, York was a Buyers Choice Lot of one of three 2015-born Fullblood Warrendale Wagyu heifers sold with their Peppermill Grove-sired heifer calf at foot – with the buyer invited on-farm after the sale to make their final selection. The Australian-bred Peppermill Grove is one of only two sons available worldwide of the top-ranking Breedplan bull Mayura Itoshigenami Jnr who sired the $AUS185,000 Poll Wagyu Midnight M0775 who sold at the May 2018 Wagyu Edge Conference, Australia. Peppermill Grove has a Terminal Carcase Index of +$381 (breed average +$150) which combines Carcase Weight and Marble Score EBV. The top-priced lot went to an undisclosed buyer who bought over the internet.
Commenting on the Sale, WBA Director Steve Ramshaw said: “There was a real buzz about our first sale with a big audience both in person and online looking to get into Wagyu breeding and reap the rewards of its premium marbled meat. We are seeing a lot of new breeders wanting to capitalise on the recent growth of Wagyu with its year-on-year 50% increase in cattle numbers as well as dairy and suckler farmers looking to diversify.”
Next best at 4,200gns was the Fullblood heifer Uprising Flora from Uprising Properties Ltd, Park Farm, Ashill, Bishopsteignton, Devon which went under the hammer to new breeders Messrs M & K Chippendale, Wharton Hall, Wharton, Kirkby Stephen. Sired by Uprising Kobe Akihito and out of Tyddewi FH6996, this September-2015 born bulling heifer has strong maternal and milk traits.
Leading the bulls was the 3,500gns paid by dairy farmers Messrs DI & HGB Evans, Parc Cynog Farm, Pendine, Carmarthen for the September 2015-born Fullblood bull American Marine consigned by Earl Stonham Farms, Whissels Ground, Creeting St Mary, Suffolk. His sire is Lake Wagyu C87 and dam Oasis Senaka J62 making this young bull a strong all-rounder for growth, milk and marbling.
Embryos enjoyed a solid trade with 11 averaging £869. Leading bid was the 1,200gns paid per embryo for 4 embryos pairing Sumo Michifuku F126 (sire) with Westholme K5035 (dam). This combination gives a Marble Fineness EBV & Terminal Carcase Index (+$336) in the top 5% of the breed worldwide. Purchasers were Messrs Chippendale.
Topping the semen market, which again enjoyed a good trade, was Peppermill Grove from Delta Wagyu which realised 100gns per straw for 10 straws and was knocked down to Philip Maddocks, Chadwell Park Farm, Newport, Shropshire.
The Sale was preceded by a short conference which began with the WBA’s Richard Saunders talking about the tremendous opportunities awaiting new breeders getting into Wagyu. Steve Ramshaw of Northumbrian Wagyu then gave his experiences of breeding, feeding and finishing. This was followed by Rob Cumine explaining the philosophy behind the Natural Wagyu business he runs in West Wales with his partner Will Prichard as well as his experiences of bloodlines and Breedplan performance recording gained in Australia. Finally, Mark Boland of Paragon Vets talked about how to effectively use embryo transfer technology in Wagyu breeding.
Grateful thanks are extended to auctioneer Drew Patrick and his team at HNM, sponsors Paragon Vets, Davidsons Animal Feeds, Armstrong Watson & Intake Veterinary Services. Thanks also go to Steve Bennett of Wagyu International, one of the foremost authorities on Wagyu seedstock, for providing in-depth breeding notes within the catalogue. A charity auction of Wagyu meat kindly put up by Northumbrian Wagyu made £300 for the Air Ambulance.
Averages
4 Females £6,352
2 Bulls £2,992
11 Embryos £869
70 Semen Straws £78
Auctioneer: Hexham & Northern Marts