WINDHOEK - The third small stock stud auction which took place on 17 April in Otjiwarongo, is another success story for the livestock stud breeders and Agra livestock. According to seller Francois van Rensburg people at the auction commented that it is not every day that one sees and has the opportunity to buy animals of this quality at your doorstep! Van Rensburg also quoted people saying: “This type of auction should have taken place ten years ago already, instead of us having to go to Windhoek or to farms in the very far south and even then we can’t obtain such beautiful animals.” There were also many compliments for Agra’s inputs in building the small stock pens at the auction facilities and for hosting a very successful auction. Buyers from as far as Ruacana and Oshakati came to the auction.

The breeders who ventured into offering their genetic material to farmers in the northern areas are van Wyk de Klerk, Stollie van Niekerk and Wendell Visser with Boer goats and Francois van Rensburg with van Rooy sheep. Forty buyers registered and from the start of the auction it was clear that the demand for the animals on offer was huge and some buyers will have to wait until next year’s auction to buy top genetics from these breeders.

Six Boer goat rams sold for an average of N$11 917, and a highest price of N$18 000.

Boer goat ewes sold for a very good average price of N$5 538, with the highest price paid for ewes of N$7 500.

Van Rooy Rams sold for an average price of N$9 667.

The highest price paid for a van Rooy ram was N$13 000.

The most expensive Boer goat ram from E van Niekerk, was bought by Christiaan (Bossie) Burger for N$18 000. Van Niekerk also sold a Boer goat ram for N$15 000 to Loutjie Potgieter.

Dithol Cloete paid the highest price of N$7 500 for two Boer goat ewes of EAB van Niekerk.

Willie Louw paid the highest price of N$13 000 for a van Rooy ram of Francois van Rensburg.

The breeders expressed their appreciation towards Agra for hosting the auction and are in agreement with Agra livestock staff that this auction has established itself on the livestock auction calendar as a small stock stud auction in the north. They chairman of the van Rooy Association, Francois van Rensburg has undertaken to organise a two-day junior van Rooy course next year before the auction.

“We have a responsibility to guide prospective buyers and producers on their choice of ram and ewe material in order to increase production in their herds”, said van Rensburg and added: “this also confirms the trust we have in the quality of our animals and will further contribute to the success of the auction in 2015.”