Strong beef returns and growing demand for beef genetics are helping drive confidence ahead of New Zealand’s spring yearling bull sale season, with around 60 sales scheduled nationwide between late August and October.
PGG Wrightson Livestock National Genetics Manager Callum McDonald says the industry is entering the spring sales season on the back of a highly successful two-year-old bull selling season.
“We’re obviously coming off the back of a pretty successful two-year-old selling season, which, on the back of beef prices, was pretty cool to see,” he says.
Sales began in the upper North Island late last month before moving progressively south and concluding in Southland in late October.
Strong returns across the beef sector continue to support farmer confidence and investment in herd performance.
Callum says yearling bulls remain an important part of both traditional beef breeding systems and the expanding beef-on-dairy market.
“A lot of them go into the beef industry with heifer mating options, and beef-on-dairy is a big part of what we do now too.”
As profitability across the red meat sector improves, many farmers are expected to reinvest in the genetic base of their herds to improve productivity and long-term performance.
While the overall supply of yearling bulls is expected to meet demand, strong interest is likely to remain for bulls that offer proven genetics, performance data and traits suited to commercial farming systems.
The continued growth of beef-on-dairy systems remains an important driver of demand for quality beef genetics.
Callum says the increased use of beef genetics within dairy herds is creating opportunities across the wider beef industry while helping lift the value of dairy-origin animals.
“The dairy farmers are into it at the moment, and if we can get some beef animals through that dairy industry, it’s good for the whole beef industry.”
The trend has become an increasingly important part of New Zealand’s beef sector, creating demand for genetics that offer calving ease, growth performance and market suitability.
Despite ongoing global uncertainty, confidence within the beef sector remains positive.
A successful autumn bull selling season, strong beef schedules and continued demand for quality livestock are all contributing to optimism as spring sales get underway.
“The short to medium term looks really positive,” he says. “Certainly, just that buoyancy in the beef industry is propping things up at the moment and we’re going through a bit of a purple patch which is nice to see, and long may it continue.”
With strong beef schedules, continued interest in beef-on-dairy systems and encouraging demand for quality genetics, conditions remain positive heading into the spring sale season. For commercial beef and dairy farmers alike, the focus continues to be on selecting genetics that improve productivity, profitability and long-term herd performance.
