Newsletter
for the Week Ending 8 October 2004
Lysgorran
Vulysses Supreme at Perth
In a strong showing of
Limousin at the Perth Royal Show, Lysgorran Vulysses was awarded the Supreme
Exhibit award by the judge Ian Watson of the former high profile Injemira
Hereford Stud.
By Heros Bis from White Lakes
Leading Light, the four year old bull weighing 1230kg was earlier awarded
Senior Champion Limousin Bull. The
Junior Champion bull was Liepold Y-Not, a 15 month old Goodwood Tarzan son of
Collian Park Jemini shown by Michael and Trish Cabassi of Liepold Limousins.
Reserve Junior Champion bull
was Heritage Yogo by Tara Vengaboy and exhibited by Penny Terpstra of Heritage
Limousins.
The Junior Female Champion
White Lakes Yum Yum shown by the Williams family went on to be the Grand
Champion female. Yum Yum was by the
polled French pure Canadian sire 1-Way Polled Justice and out of White Lakes
Vital Beauty.
Senior Champion female was a
White Lakes Quench daughter, Collegian Vain, exhibited by James Morris of the
Morrisdale Limousin Stud. Reserve
Senior Champion was Collegian Ultimate, a WLCC No Substitute daughter exhibited
by Geoff and Dianne Lyster of the Lysgorran Limousin Stud.
Grand Champion female was the
Junior Champion White Lakes Y-Not.
Liepold
Y-Not Interbreed Champ
Although he missed out on the
Limousin Grand Championship, Liepold Y-Not later took out the even higher
honour of Interbreed Junior Champion Bull at the Perth Royal.
Congratulations to Michael
and Trish Cabassi on this great success.
Supreme
Champion On Hoof in Perth
The Dick Dempster trophy from
the Supreme Champion steer or heifer at the Perth Royal Show was won by a
purebred Limousin steer exhibited by Henry Strating for the second year in
succession.
The 704kg steer had been
earlier awarded the Champion Prime (unled) steer or heifer and sold for $2,900
to Rocco Meats, a leading Perth butcher.
In the led steer competition
a Limousin X Angus heifer exhibited by Kelmscott High School was awarded the
Champion Lightweight and a Limousin steer also shown by Kelmscott High School
was the Reserve Champion Middleweight in a very strong competition.
In the Prime Cattle
competition the Reserve Champion Extra Heavyweight was a pure Limousin
exhibited by Lockridge High School.
Sale
Toppers at Bendigo (Vic)
1 Limousin X
Hereford/Friesian vealer steer $941.36
1 Limousin X Jersey vealer
steer $910
Acc Kemp, Toolleen
Wodonga
Sale Toppers 28 September
6 Limousin yearling steers
466.7kg @ 201.6 c/kg = $940.80, acc FH & EJ Barr, Wonga Park
4 Limousin vealer steers
358.8kg @ 225.2 c/kg = $807.91, acc D, A & P Morris, Howlong
3 Limousin vealer steer
366.7kg @ 212 c/kg = $777.33, acc DJ & JC Weidner, Balldale
2 Limousin vealer heifers
370kg @ 225 c/kg = $832.50, acc D, A & P Morris, Howlong
3 Limousin vealer heifers
336.7kg @ 211.2 c/kg = $711.04, acc DJ & JC Weidner, Balldale
Mount
Gambier Sale Toppers 29th September
Mella Limousin Stud sold 4
cull Limousin heifers 379 kg @ 220 c/kg
= $833.80.
This followed the Sale of 2
Limousin heifers 390 kg @ 227 c/kg = $885.30 on 11/08/04.
Strong
Competition For Limousins in WA
The use of European breeds is
higher in WA than other states of Australia but Limousin has some strong
competition.
Simmental has around 50%
market share of the Euro breeds with Limousin and Charolais each holding about
20% and Gelbvieh 7%. Blonde
d'Aquitaine, Saler and Belgian Blue share the remaining three percent.
While the domestic market is
the major market, major export processor E.G. Green is exporting increasing
quantities of grain fed beef to Japan and Korea. These are 120 to 150 day fed cattle.
The proportion of cattle
finished on grain is increasing for both the domestic export markets. The traditional "baby beef" market
is disappearing as supermarkets have moved their required carcase weights up to
the 220-270kg range. Limousin cross
cattle are popular with the feeders provided their temperament is good and
there is a clear premium for high content Limousin cattle in the Midland market
in Perth where there is strong competition from Perth butchers.
There is a large live export
market for young bulls from WA to Israel and Palestine which takes at least one
shipment of 3,000 head per month.
There is a strong preference
for European content bulls and especially Limousin content bulls. Current shipments include low numbers of
European influenced cattle so there is significant potential to market more
Limousin bulls into the pastoral (low rainfall) zones that supply most of the
bull calves suitable for this market.
The potential for growth of
the Limousin breed in WA is good but temperament must be good and there is
plenty of competition from other European breeds.
Yours in Limousin
from Western Australia
Alex McDonald