Weaner auctions start in July

Agra Ltd announced this week it will host 16 weaner auctions nationwide from Grootfontein in the North to Karasburg in the South, with the first auction scheduled for 8 July at Summerdown.
Producers have to put together lots of 15 weaners, each animal weighing between 200 kg and 260 kg, to enter the weaner competition.

The categories in which the animals compete are feedlot potential, veld potential and heifers with breeding potential. Within these categories judges will look at fertility, growth ability and capacity to produce meat and farming practices (de-horning, branding etc.) Two well-known experts, Dawid Krause and Lourens Swart, both of Feedmaster, will do the judging at all the auctions.
“We are optimistic that the market conditions especially with regards to exports to South Africa will remain favourable and that the foot and mouth disease threat will be averted by the good cooperation between the government, farmers, organised agriculture and organisations such as Agra”, said Herman Lintvelt, Agra’s livestock manager for the central region.
Lintvelt stated the importance of the involvement of sponsors to make the championships possible and expressed his gratitude to the sponsors who came on board. The main sponsors are Feedmaster, First National Bank, Sanlam, Santam and Nictus Holdings. The co-sponsors are Marsh Africa; Henco Engineering; Indongo Toyota; MSD; Virbac; AMH Motors and Bayer. This year’s sponsorships amounts to almost N$500,000 which will be used for the various category winners at the auctions and to host the National Champion gala event.