‘Highest amount ever paid’ – Beefmaster bull sold for R1.1 million

A new South African record was set by the Bos Blanco Beefmaster stud when it sold the bull BOS 166 103 to Chris van Heerden of Gamtouw Farming near Bronkhorstspruit for R1.1 million.

This is the highest amount ever paid for a Beefmaster bull in South Africa and almost double the previous record price of R600 000.

The bull was bought during the national sale of the Beefmaster Cattle Breeders’ Society of South Africa on 8 July, held at the Afridome, Parys.

“We researched the bull’s genetics for five generations back. Some of his genetics are already in our herd and it’s incredible,” Van Heerden said.

A record price for a 3-in-1 cow was also achieved. The in-calf cow BOS 166 364 and her calf were sold by Bos Blanco and bought by Van Heerden for R350 000.

The sale was held by Vleissentraal, with Ian Grobbelaar as the auctioneer.

In 2013, a game auction raised more than R700,000 after “Sunrise”, a golden wildebeest bull, was sold for R750,000 with then ANC deputy president Cyril Ramaphosa wielding the auctioneer’s hammer.

The animal was donated by the Stud Game Breeders group to raise funds for transformation projects in the country.

Vleissentraal Bosveld said that Ramaphosa “artfully concluded the lot that fetched a remarkable price of R750 000 offered by a syndicate comprising of a collective group of game farmers”.

The year before, Ramaphosa came under fire for reportedly putting in an R18 million bid for a buffalo and her calf. At the time, the SA Press Association reported that Ramaphosa had said it was a mistake.

He was quoted on SAfm as saying: “I regret it because it is an excessive price in the sea of poverty. I belong to a community and it was one of those moments when I was blind-sighted.”

Republished from Farmer’s Weekly