I received an email from Iain Kerr, the General Manager of the British Limousin Society, this morning.

He said the cost of the main conference from 1st to 10th August will be 1400 Pounds. On todays exchange rate that is $3310 Aust . The three day post tour through Wales will cost an additional 200 Pounds ($473 Aust.).

Iain Kerr said Through the main tour, the price covers the standards of accommodation, meals, coaching etc. Almost all meals, breakfast, lunch and dinner, are included within the ticket price. As the program stands, two 'evenings at own expense' have been built in. The plan is to have booking forms available from the first week in January. I am aware that some countries have deals available for good flight prices if they book prior to the New Year. I will therefore try and ensure that all affiliated ILC countries are notified of the prices, by email, as soon as possible.

I will let everyone know when registration forms are available.

Limousin Australia is at the printers and should be posted late next week. It contains a host of stories on the profitability of Limousins for commercial breeders which Editor Kirsty Hamson was able to get on her recent trip to Victoria, SA and WA.

There are also many articles on Limousin success in the show ring, carcase competitions and most importantly sales.

The South African Limousin Association have recently made a decision that they will have their extensive performance data evaluated by ABRI using a BREEDPLAN analysis. We are currently evaluating the genetic linkage between the Australia/NZ database and the South African database to assess whether it can be run as a joint genetic analysis. A number of French AI sires have been used in both countries so I am optimistic that a joint analysis will be possible.

An indication of the powerful competition that Angus provide in the USA comes from the Express Ranches bull sale held in early October. Once a Limousin only stud, Express Ranches sold 49 Limousin bulls for an average of $2,231 and 146 Angus bulls for an average of $3124. The top priced "Limousin" bull was a black and polled half blood which sold for $4000

On his recent visit to Australia, Executive Vice President at Express Ranches, Dr. John Edwards, said that it was becoming increasingly difficult to sell red horned Limousin bulls but Limousin X Angus bulls were easy to sell because of their combination of yield and marbling.

It should be remembered that the USA market is driven by the marbling based grading system with the premiums for the higher marbled Choice compared to Select grades greater than the premiums for higher yield grades.

It is a great relief to Limousin breeders in Australia that we do not have a marbling based grading system and that our consumers actively choose against fat which makes high yielding low fat carcases very attractive to our supermarkets and butchers.

The Express Ranches "Fast Forward" Limousin sale held in November showed there is still great confidence in Limousin in North America with 75 lots grossing $623,350 to average $8,311.

A half interest and half possession in the homozygous black and homozygous polled bull RADS Black Prodigy sold for $75,000 and a two-thirds share and full possession in a black and polled bull EXLR Black Dakota 071M sold for $56,000.

In the females 37 heifers averaged $7,780, 16 cows with autumn born calves averaged $5,156 and 14 cows with spring born calves averaged $4,829.

Jamie Inglis of William Inglis and Son, Camden, reported the sale of 15 vealers on behalf of former Chairman of the Australian Meat and Livestock Corporation, Dick Austen, Hartley Grazing Company, Hartley, at Camden last Tuesday.

The 15 Limousin cross vealers weighed an average of 286kg and averaged 218.2 c/kg or $624 a head.

They sold to a top of 239.2 c/kg and were all purchased by local and inner city shop butchers.

Jamie said the vealers were "hand painted", and although a touch out of season for their operation, struck a very buoyant market.

Guiseppe Malfitana topped the Camden store sale this week with a pen of Limousin cows and calves from his Campbelltown property which sold for $1425.

Most cow and calf units in the sale made around $900 so these cows and calves sold at a large premium.

Most were four years old on their second or third calves.

Mr Malfitana runs about 120 commercial cows of mostly Limousin and Charolais breeding.

Another pen of Limousin cows and calves offered by Strathroy Pastoral, Menangle made to $1150.

Tony and Jill Whistler of Home Station Limousin Stud at Wangaratta, Victoria, report the following sale of cull cows and a heifer over the hooks to Cargills at Wagga Wagga.

6 cows 415.4kg carcase weight @ 275c/kg = $1142.40

1 cow 412.5kg @ 270 c/kg = $1114

The difference between the cows was that the six cows had rump fat depths of 6 to 10mm whereas the single cow was discounted 5c/kg for having 15mm of fat on the rump.

These cows were culled for age or fertility reasons. A heifer culled for temperament sold for 359.5kg carcase weight @ $3.00/kg = $1078.50

Tony reported that the top priced cow in the nearby Wangaratta yards that week was $860 (for a Limousin).

Greg and Mary Withers report the following overhooks sales in early November. Son, Glenn sold a W (2001) heifer 580kg live, 331kg carcase @ $3.42 = $1132

A U (1999) cow from the Redlac herd 618kg live, 349kg (56.5% DP)carcase weight @ $3.10/kg=$1082

Greg and Mary sold a P (10 years old) cow 744kg live, 427kg carcase weight (57.4% DP) @ $2.80 = $1196

A U (4yr old) Angus cow 600kg live @ 318.5kg carcase weight (53% DP) @ $2.65 = $844

"Given the age difference that is a lot of dollars" commented Mary.

They also sold 2 V (2000) heifers 660kg live 381.5kg carcase weight (57.8% DP) @ $3.05/kg = $1164 and an X (2002) heifer culled for fertility 532kg live weight, 298kg carcase weight @ $3.21/kg = $957

It doesn't pay for a Limousin female to fail to get pregnant or "look sideways" at the owners at Home Station or Donna Valley Limousin studs with these prices around.

The record high prices in the USA are the reason for these record high Australian prices for cows.

Yours in Limousin
Alex McDonald