NZ Herefords: Main Page

Ken Wilson Meats are now paying a premium on eligible carcase supplied for the Hereford Prime programme. Left, production manager Campbell Preston, sales representative Warwick Hanlon and general manager Hamish Preston.

Hereford Prime beef processor Ken Wilson Meats Ltd has announced it is now paying a premium of 0.10 cents per kilogram on carcases meeting the criteria for their local trade programme.

Ken Wilson Meats General Manager Hamish Preston says demand for Hereford Prime is outweighing supply and they have launched the premium in a bid to secure cattle for the programme. Payment on qualifying cattle starts immediately.

The Wellington based processor contracts Taylor Preston Ltd to slaughter its local trade beef carcases for the Hereford Prime programme.

Ken Wilson Meats procure cattle from the lower North Island and in the South island Canterbury north.

However Hamish said to qualify for the premium payment farmers must meet all criteria including the cattle being pure-bred Hereford or first cross Hereford British breed.

Every individual carcass is assessed in the yards and then again for fat colour, meat colour, marbling and pH 24 hours after slaughter. A detailed report on all cattle meeting these criteria is then sent to individual farmers.

“To meet those specs across the board for the Hereford Prime programme we want to encourage farmers to send us the right cattle,” says Hamish. “Our customers demand a top quality and consistent product which we achieve by adhering to these criteria.”

“We need more animals for the branded programme and there is capacity for growth.”

Hereford Prime chairman Laurie Paterson said it was great news that Ken Wilson Meats are offering a premium and he’s delighted that the oldest branded beef programme in New Zealand is able to offer NZ beef farmers a competitive choice.

To supply Hereford Prime and for full details on qualifying criteria contact Barry Sweeney on 06 3049701.

The Hawkes Bay Hereford bull, Leelands Digital 833 that epitomizes
the breeding career of Charlie and Margaret Lee.

One of the most highly revered titles in the stud beef industry has been awarded to Hawkes Bay Hereford breeders Charlie and Margaret Lee at the Meat & Wool NZ Beef Expo this week.

Charlie and Margaret Lee winners
of the PGG Wrightson Champion of
Champions bull at Beef Expo 2010

The Lees Hereford sire Leelands Digital 833 was named the 2010 PGG Wrightson Champion of Champions at Beef Expo in Feilding.

Breeders Charlie and Margaret Lee from Elsthorpe, say the win is “a most satisfying culmination to our breeding career.”

It’s been 41 years since the Lees first exhibited at a National Show and Sale and this is their last time entering as they have dispersed their registered Hereford females and will be offering bulls for the last time this year.

It’s the first time they have taken home the prestigious Champion of Champions title and the couple agree the response to their win from other breeders has been humbling.

“It was quite overwhelming, the congratulations from different people,” says Charlie.

International guest judges Marion and John Tilson from Scotland had the task of judging the champion of champions title and said they selected the Hereford because of his scale and length.

“Length weighs and that (beef) is your end product,” said Marion afterwards.

“He was a very good bull, a lot of frame, good legs and a good walker, he’d do well in the UK as well,” she said.

Leelands Digital 833 went on to sell for $9000 to Auckland based stud breeders Kokonga Herefords. It’s the second year in a row Kokonga have purchased the champion Hereford bull at the Beef Expo. The bull is out of homebred sire Leelands Acquisition 619 and homebred dam Leelands Diamond 511. Digital is a sire the Lees rate highly, commenting they would have retained him had they not been retiring from breeding.

The Lees also offered a second bull at the Beef Expo with Leelands Defiant 822 who sold for $6000 to Taihape farmer Carey Alabaster.

Charlie and Margaret were also awarded the Points competition trophy – awarded to the breeder with the best two entries exhibited by one vendor at Beef Expo.

The Lees were also delighted to acknowledge a connection to another Hereford success at Beef Expo. Magills Butchery, the Te Awamutu Hereford Prime retailer and processor took home first place in the Steak of Origin Best of Brand (retail) class with a Hereford Prime entry. Owner of Magills, Mike van der Hoeven also entered the cross bred class and was placed second with a Hereford Wagyu cross sirloin. The sirloin entered was procured from progeny out of a Leelands female.

Top price of the Hereford sale was $11,500 for a bull offered by the Langtry family of the Awhea Hereford stud near Fielding. Their sire was purchased by Martin and Mary Taylor of the Glenbrae Hereford stud at Porangahau in central Hawkes Bay. The Taylors had earlier gained second place in the unled Hereford Impact Sire class with Glenbrae Earl 801 who sold for $7000.

The Langtry family celebrated excellent sale results with their three bulls entered all selling to other stud breeders. The bulls sold for $5500, $11,500 and $7500.

Reserve champion Hereford was a bull bred by Wairarapa breeders the McWilliams at Gladstone. The sire Te Taumata Yorker 175 sold for $7700 to Waikato breeder Chris Gibbs.

The bull was entered in the led Impact sire class which returned with stronger numbers this year and won that class. Gay Learning Harry was placed second in the led class and Awhea Icon was placed third.

Colin Corney is awarded Hereford
Herdsperson by Sid Hain.

First time vendors held their own this year also. Colin Corney, Colraine Herefords, Hamilton was named the standout Herford Herdsperson. His bull Colraine Zeus 26 sold for $4000.

Another first time vendor, Maureen and Bruce Harvey sold their sire Ascot Innovation 9 to Maungahina Herefords for $9000.

The Tru-Test Super Sire class success continued again.
In the North Island Awhea Ingot took home the title of Champion North Island Tru Test Super Sire and Kairuru Flintstone was reserve.

In the South Island Tru Test class Capethorne 15 took home top honours and Merrylea 1403 was awarded reserve.

In the female section, Matapouri Herefords and the Clements family dominated again. They were awarded first prize for their Starter Pack pair of in-calf heifers which sold for $2400 each to Ascot Herefords and first prize in the led female class. Cam Gerrard’s yearling heifer was placed second in the led female class and sold for $2400.

The new condensed format that was put into place for Beef Expo 2010 proved popular with a heightened buzz present in the stadium on sale day when all breeds were put under the auctioneers hammer. Just over 140 lots were auctioned off throughout the day.

Alastair McWilliam accepts the title of Reserve Champion Hereford
for Te Taumata Yorker from judge Gary Allen.

The 2010 New Zealand Hereford Association Herd of Excellence was awarded to Gray and Robyn Pannett of Limehills Herefords, Roxburgh, Central Otago. Thanks to the supporters of the award being NZX Agri represented by John Watson, left, guest judge David Marshall, Gray Pannett and Adele Gray from Pivot Design another generous supporter of the title.

The Pannett family farm 2878ha, which includes 1000ha of native tussock land only used for brief grazing over summer. They aim to run a highly profitably module with low labour inputs and animal health requirements but reasonable fertiliser.