BRITISH SIMMENTAL PEDIGREE REGISTRATIONS AND SALES INCREASE FOR A SECOND CONSECUTIVE YEAR

• Official Simmental Society Sales in the Year Gross £2,091,406, up by £87,479

The upsurge in performance for British Simmental has seen pedigree registrations and birth notifications increase for a second year in a row. In the figures released by the British Simmental Cattle Society for the pedigree registration year of 1st August 2022 to 31st July 2023, the overall total was 7633 up by 245 and representative of a 3.3% increase.

Going hand in hand with these figures another strong year of Official Society Pedigree Simmental in the same period has seen a sales gross of £2,091,406, up by £87,479 (4.35%) on the year. The strong sales demand for both bulls and females saw a number of new breed record marks set in the year and including at Stirling, Carlisle, and Aberdeen. The sales at Stirling in May 2022, October 2022, and February 2023, all saw breed record averages attained for these fixtures. Stirling in February 2023 was the highest grossing sale with 97 bulls averaging a new February record of £7,260, up £425 on the year. The sale in October at Stirling saw a new Simmental breed record all-sale average of £7,559 for 45 bulls, up by £1,597 on the year, and up by £734 on the previous sale record mark. At the second staging of the establishing Next Generation Sale of Females & Weaned Calves at Carlisle in December a top price of 18,000gns was attained, with heifer averages of £5202, up by £806 on the year. Both the top price and heifer average were new breed centre records.

This further increase in pedigree registrations, combined with the demand at the point of sale was again welcomed by the Society’s President Norman Robson, Kilbride Farm, Ballyclare who said: “There’s a real forward industry emphasis by beef producers on the efficiencies and value that Simmental genetics can deliver. The Simmental’s benchmark is their milk fertility, calving ease, temperament, and abilities to rear a fast-growing calf without creep feeding. Add in that AHDB data continues to show the breed as the number one continental breed for age at slaughter, and it just collectively highlights that adding Simmental genetics gives you super maternal performance and top-class carcass traits.”

Commenting further he went on to say: “In the course of the year we conducted a wide-ranging survey of Simmental bull buyers, and we were delighted that the breed received a 94% approval rate from commercial buyers who confirmed that they would purchase further Simmental bulls. I’d like to congratulate breeders for the quality of stock they are bringing forward and would urge everyone to keep placing an emphasis on breeding selection and improvement.”

The next pedigree sales under the Society’s auspices will be the 2023 Stirling Sale on Monday October 23rd that sees 122 Simmental bulls entered from breeders. Following the bull sale on the same day will be the Complete Dispersal Sale (due to retirement) of the noted Heathbrow Polled Simmental herd, of David & Lesley Sapsed, High Heath Farm, Codicote, Hitchin, Herts.