54 | Four generations in and still improving It’s their grass-fed system that led the Uruguayan farmers to New Zealand (and Australia) when looking for improved genetics. Virginia Wright The farm that has been in the Hargreaves family for four generations in South Canterbury runs both the Kakahu Charolais Stud and the Kakahu Angus Stud. Their respective bulls show all the quality traits that generations of careful breeding can capture. Recently the farm was visited by Australian businessman and agricultural investor Lochie McKinnon, together with some commercial Uruguayan farmers, looking for ways to enhance their genetics. It’s not only their genetics though. Tom Hargreaves paid a return visit to their farms in order to understand their farming practices and offer some ideas as to how they might improve their bottom line. “Uruguay’s a very similar climate to New Zealand and the topography is phenomenal. It’s flat land with beautiful soils so they’re a grass-based system with really good rainfall, they’re just probably 20 years behind us in technology,” he explains. It’s their grass-fed system that led the Uruguayan farmers to New Zealand (and Australia) when looking for improved genetics for fertility, calving ease and, just as importantly, carcass qualities and growth. Kakahu Angus get a lot of their genetics from America, also the source for many South American countries so that gelled too. They liked what they saw, recognising that their type of cattle would suit the production system back in Uruguay, and seeing what can be done with technology such as advances in irrigation, pasture grasses, and fencing. The biggest thing though, is a change of mindset in how they farm, explains Tom. “They’ve probably been doing things for 100 years and not a lot has changed. They have big 60-hectare blocks, and the expectation on their cattle is very different to ours. They’re killing cattle at a relatively low carcass weight on older pastures compared to what we’re doing so that’s the crux of it. MEAT & WOOL » Kakahu Angus We grow high- performance cattle looking for an end product that suits both the farmer and the consumer which is what they need too because pretty much all their beef is exported globally.” Keeping an eye on the end-consumer is just one of the things that Kakahu Angus take care to do as Fernvale Genetics, located in Moa Flat, West Otago is an elite ram breeding company that has seen 3 generations of the Brenssell family over the past 80 years develop the stud to its current status. The stud today has entrenched key breeding policies that are used to produce superior animals that will have the Genetic make up to enhance the commercial sheep farming operations they are transferred into. These key breeding policies include: • Only multiple born & reared animals sold or retained in stud. • Quality outside bloodlines used every third generation. • Commercial pressure though 45,000 stock units. • Two year ram performance guarantee. • All ewe hoggets put to ram Fernvale Genetics is part of a large 45,000 stock unit sheep and beef operation. Not only is the The combined farming operation includes 18,500 Beef stock units with 1,200 breeding cows. 027 201 8181 fernvale@farmside.co.nz www.fernvale.co.nz Partners: Paul Wolffenbu�el | Jasveen Singh | Nick Krivan | Kalpesh Hari | Mark Evans HC Partners LP are proud to support Kakahu Angus 39 George Street, Timaru 7910 | PO Box 125, Timaru 7940 Email: hcmail@hcpartners.co.nz | Phone: 03 687 9222 | Website: www.hcpartners.co.nz Proud to support Kakahu Angus Phone - 03 685 4880 Mobile - 027 280 4831 Rd 17, Fairlie 7987
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