Page 38 - 2020 NZ Hereford Magazine

A good example of that is the semen from Canadian bull
Triara Xcelorator 594X that was used with selected animals.
“It has given us a totally different line to utilise. There’s always
a strong influence of our cow herd on most sires we use because
we endeavour to use the best son out of a very good cow. It’s all
about the strength of the cow herd, whether you’re buying a bull
from another herd or using a bull from your own programme.”
Koanui has sold a half share in one of his sons, Koanui Xcelerator
5088, for $30,000 to Bruce and Pip Robinson from Kokonga.
Collecting accurate data is an integral part of how Koanui
operates.
“There is no guessing and there are no excuses; this gives
us reliability of information. We’re just adding genomics into the “The export semen and embryo sales are more a luxury or
system, which will be added into the Breedplan analysis on the breeder interest when people outside of your market want to use
basis of the animal’s own genome. This will give you whether your genetics. But for Koanui our commercial buyers are crucial.”
it’s horned or polled, the disease criteria, sire verification... The marketing side of the business is being directed by
we’ve just done 100 yearling bulls (spring 2019), so that will Chris and Jennifer’s son, Hugh, who works for Horticulture New
help improve that accuracy to another level. We have semen Zealand in Wellington. Another son, Glen, finished an agriculture
and serving testing, muscle scanning, and health protocols… degree at Lincoln in 2019 and is walking the Te Araroa Trail, and
we have the highest level of accreditation in our farm assurance his brother Gerard is in his final year of a mechanical engineering
programme for our compliance and we apply that same ethos degree at Canterbury University. Daughter Allie is a second-year
across our herd recording.” vet student at Massey University.
Koanui has a growing profile in Australia for semen sales.
Koanui Techno 3062 has been widely used because his high “THE EXPORT SEMEN AND EMBRYO
IMF carcass characteristics and strong performance figures
across all traits fits well with the Australian grading system. SALES ARE MORE A LUXURY OR
“They want more of that,” Jennifer says. BREEDER INTEREST WHEN PEOPLE
“We have also sold semen into North America, the EU, OUTSIDE OF YOUR MARKET WANT
South America, Vanuatu, New Caledonia and South Africa over TO USE YOUR GENETICS.
the years. Blueprint’s semen was used in 11 different countries,
but more recently we have sold mainly into South America, BUT FOR KOANUI OUR COMMERCIAL
the United States and Australia. Koanui Blueprint was a highly BUYERS ARE CRUCIAL.”
successful Koanui bull on the world stage in the 90s, with
semen sales in excess of $200,000.” THIS PAGE, TOP TO BOTTOM: Koanui Legend 7109 has been
But Chris adds they’re not losing sight of the importance of accepted into the Beef + Lamb NZ Genetics Dairy Beef Progeny
their domestic commercial market. Test; The 2019 auction had an average price of $10,088.

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