Herefords Bring Premium at Annual Feeder Calf Sale
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Buyers and sellers gathered for the largest offering yet at the annual Tennessee Hereford Marketing Program feeder calf sale Oct. 27, 2008. Ninety-six consignors sold 1,121 head of age, source and health-verified Hereford and Hereford-influenced calves in the program’s 10th year, earning sellers more than $29,000 in premiums.
According to a University of Tennessee analysis, the calves sold for $26 per head more than the average feeder calf in Tennessee that week.
The Certified Hereford Beef® (CHB) and Hereford Verified eligible calves sold from nine states – Kentucky, Indiana, West Virginia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi and Tennessee.
Leaders from the Tennessee Polled Hereford Association (TPHA) and Tennessee Horned Hereford Association have guided the Tennessee Hereford Marketing Program to achieve its goal of providing a marketplace where producers can sell small groups of Hereford calves at fair market price. That goal has long been surpassed, attracting repeat buyers, as now the group has created an outstanding market where consignors earn a premium for their calves. The average number consigned was 12 head, with consignments ranging from one to 44 head.
Also aiding the success of the sale was the demand for CHB. Buyers from two CHB-participating feedlots purchased more than 700 head of the cattle offered.
“This is a great example of how cattle producers that have small herds can work together to pool their calves into larger groups in order to attract buyers willing to pay premium prices for high-quality calves,” says Darrell Ailshie, manager of Tennessee Livestock Producers, which hosted the sale in its new auction facility in Columbia.
The sale was also broadcast live on the Internet at www.LMAAuctions.com, where viewers from 17 states logged on. Also this year, the organizers hosted more than 100 people for a pre-sale dinner sponsored by the TPHA and Boehringer Ingelheim (BI). BI works closely with consignors on proper health programs for growing quality cattle.
The American Hereford Association with headquarters in Kansas City, Mo., is one of the largest U.S. beef breed associations. The not-for-profit organization along with its subsidiaries, Certified Hereford Beef (CHB) LLC, Hereford Publications Inc. (HPI), and American Beef Records Association (ABRA), provide programs and services for its members and their customers, while promoting the Hereford breed and supporting education, youth and research. For more information about the Association, visit Hereford.org.
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Contact: Sara Gugelmeyer, sgugelmeyer@hereford.org, (620) 271-4983
