Lasarus ups Ankole ante with 12th production auction

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The auction was conducted by CDP Auctioneering, with Corné du Plessis as head auctioneer. Speaking to Farmer’s Weekly, he said the auction drew 194 registered bidders, 113 of whom participated online.

Prior to proceedings, Hertie Lerm, son of Lasarus Game Farm owner and director Nico Lerm, said: “We are privileged to host so many fellow breeders and farmers today. We feel what we have on offer is of the highest quality, and the genetics reflect that.”

The auction opened with free-range African chickens and peacocks, followed by a charity lot of lechwe for the Amy Bell Charity Foundation managed by Irvin and Therese Tam of Tam Safaris, which sold for R10 000.

High-value wildlife on offer

A wide variety of game went under the hammer, including wildebeest, giraffe, sable antelope, eland, lion, white rhino, and ostrich, to name a few.

Among these lots, there were a few notable sales of rare and sought-after species. A lot featuring the white-bearded kudu bull Bloubaard sold for R200 000, while two dappled impala ewes – running with ‘Casanova’, one of the biggest dappled rams in the country – fetched R72 500.

The game sold well, apart from some buyer hesitation over the Cape buffalo lots.

“We battled a little with the buffalo, because foot-and-mouth [disease] definitely has an influence on that. We were happy with the rest of the animals and pleasantly surprised with the prices we achieved today,” Corné explained.

Regarding the disease, Nico advised farmers to be very selective when buying new animals and to follow the protocols.

“That being said, I do not think there is any reason to be overly frightened. I believe we, as South African farmers, can handle it well and bring stability back to the industry,” he told Farmer’s Weekly.

The main event

Once the game lots had been auctioned off, there was a keen energy among attendees to begin bidding on what so many had travelled across the country for: the Ankole.

Of the 34 Ankole lots on offer, only five weren’t sold during the live bidding. According to Nico, the top bull, heifer, calf, and family groups all achieved satisfactory prices.

The top-selling bull of the day was Bumblebee (EPA 20-006). He was sired by Tshinakaho out of Akira, and at just over five years old, he already has an impressive 44” horn length. A tense back-and-forth bidding duel between Jessica Phatela, representing Ntaba Nyoni, and Louis Neethling of Shalom Ankole saw the bull eventually sold to Shalom for R700 000.

The top-selling cow spot was shared by Makulu (NANK 11-017), mother of Cindarella, and Gia (WAB 21-004), sired by Mr President and in-calf to Bumblebee. Both sold for R400 000 each, Makulu to LeNeJa Breeders, and Gia to Ntaba Nyoni.

Corné referred to the top heifer, Miami (WAB 23-059), as the “cream of the crop”. Bidding started at R500 000, and the winning bid was an incredible R650 000, sold to Amanzi Private Game Reserve. Miami was sired by super-bull Google out of Botse and is running with Bumblebee.

Finally, anticipation built as bidding began for the top bull calf, Alexander the 1^st of Kilima (K 25-023). This four-month-old calf, representing new-genetics, was sired by 49” BE 502 out of 46” E 734. BE 502’s genetics are not yet available on the market, with Kilima Horned Heritage being the only breeders with access.

Bidding started at R150 000, with the winning bid of R750 000 awarded to Cattle Group Ankole, making Alexander the highest-selling Ankole of the day.

Reflecting on the day, Nico said: “I am very happy with the outcome, and I feel excited for the industry. We had some excellent prices today. We are already looking forward to next year’s auction.”