WINDHOEK – Agra and the Northern Select group of breeders celebrated their twentieth anniversary last Wednesday with an illustrious bull and female auction at the Agra/Bank Windhoek Ring.
Their motto Consistency with Quality,was once egain emphasised when top quality animals from five breeders of the group came under the hammer. Mecki Schneider, Chairperson of the Livestock Producers Organisation (LPO) and one of the members of Northern Select, said at the opening of the event one of the reasons behind their success was their consistency and quality and of course the relationship with Agra stud services who hosted their auctions for the past years, selling top quality Brahman and Simmentaler animals.
The Northern Select group was established in 1994 by a group of breeders from the Grootfontein and Otavi area, and their first combined sale was hosted in November 1994. The breeders in the group are Mecki and Brigitte Schneider of Okabra Brahmans; Kupferberg Brahmans of Gunther and Charlotte Hellinghausen; Arla Simmentalers of Ulla van Biljon; Harrobi White Brahmans of Hagen and Birgit Eggert and Promatria/Buschbrunn Simmentalers of Sidney Martin. They offered their Brahman and Simmentaler stud animals twice a year, at the Northern Select Winter Sale, which takes place on June 4, and at the Northern Select Sale in Grootfontein, which will be on November 7.
This group of breeders consistently aims to offer their best quality stud cattle, not only to stud breeders but also to the Namibian commercial producer. Stud expert, Kiep Lepen, who did the screening of the bulls confirmed that the bulls as well as the female animals on offer were of outstanding quality. All the animals on offer at this auction were vaccinated against Anthrax, Botulism and Black Quarter, the bulls tested for Trichomoniasis and Vibriosis and fertility tests were done on the bulls.
Agra’s first stud auctions for the year performed above expectation despite uncertainties regarding the export regulations to the South African market. Local producers and breeders showed that quality animals will sell despite the circumstances, and Agra and the Northern Select group of breeders are positive that this auction will be no different.
The highest price of the evening of N$75 000 was paid for a Simmentaler bull.