Vleissentraal Bosveld plays host to prestigious auction

MOKOPANE – VLEISSENTRAAL BOSVELD hosted the fourth Golden Breeders prestigious wildlife auction last weekend at the magnificent Castle de Wildt in Modimolle.

Industry expectations were once again surpassed and this achievement has obliterated the concerns regarding the long term viability and sustainability of the wildlife industry as a whole and to pricing in particular.

When all is said and done, the empirical foundation of the wildlife industry is vested within sound conservation and breeding principles, the material quest for supply and demand is all about quality and not quantity.

The professional manner in which the auction was conducted together with the excellent quality of animals on offer was a true narrative in relation to the common sense approach adopted by both sellers and buyers.

• More than 5000 potential buyers attended the auction which equates to an estimated growth of more than 60%.

• Golden Breeders once again achieved a 100% sale of all boma animals.

• Black impala and golden wildebeest fetched above average prices for this season – attesting that value was equal to supply and demand and the many new entrants into the market show that the industry is continuing its phenomenal growth.

• The top price (R2,85 million) for the day was paid for the three- year old golden wildebeest bull, Asterix, bred by the York family. The bull is in a class of his own with proven breeding value and horn measurements of 29-inches.

• The average price achieved for golden wildebeest herd bulls on auction was over R1,5 million each and the young 18-month old bulls fetched an average price of R1,2 million each.

• Pregnant black impala ewes also achieved exceptionally well with an average of R450 000 per animal and the average for black impala rams was R305 000. The words of Bernard Groenewald, owner of Castle de Wildt and dual owner of Golden Breeders, found credence in the outcome of this auction when he said at the inception of the first Golden Breeders Auction held in 2012: “Due to the value placed on scarce game, breeders who pay high premiums to own these exceptional animals are not only the generation that will continue to breed quality animals and restore scares game species, but also the generation that will enhance the genetic quality of South Africa’s wildlife.”

Results achieved con-firmed that the wildlife breeding market is not only sound, but also dependable and feasible.