First Akaushi Wagyu in UK
11 Holstein, Jersey, Brown Swiss and Gurnsey heifers, £2204.55; 38 Holstein embryos, £675.00
THE first UK offering of Akaushi Wagyu certainly made its mark at the Global Connection sale, staged through Harrison and Hetherington’s online platform, when selling for 10,500gns.
This came from South West Wagyu, Bude, Cornwall, with the heifer K Honey 300173, a Heartbrand Terminator daughter out of Rapid Bay Towa. She sold open and ready to flush to Messrs Lee, Kidwelly, Carmarthenshire.
Adam Smith, founder of South West Wagyu, imported embryos from the original fullblood Akaushi herd via the Canadian Rapidbay herd and these two unique heifers are the first to sell in Europe.
While Akaushi beef is prized for its marbling and intense flavour, Akaushi cattle boast extremely efficient, consistent production. They excel in important traits like growth, fertility, vigour and longevity. South West Wagyu also sold L Cheesecake
300194, an April 2023born Heartbrand Raymond Terminator daughter out of Rapid Bay Akaibara for 10,000gns, going to the same buyer.
Leading the trade for dairy heifers at 3000gns was the All Breeds All Britain Jersey champion, Blythbridge Chocochip Reagie from the Laird family, Blythbridge, Blyth Bridge, West Linton.
This November 2022-born Avonlea Chocochip daughter
is backed by nine generations of VG or Ex dams. She sold locally to Messrs Millar, Kirkpatrick Fleming, Lockerbie, and went on to stand honourable mention junior champion Jersey at UK Dairy Expo following the sale. Selling at 2800gns was Panda Alpha O Kiwi, an October 2023-born Blondin Alpha daughter from Panda Holsteins, Molland Ridge Farm, Chumleigh, Devon. Backed by seven generations
of VG and Ex family, she was purchased by Messrs Tinney, Letterkenny, Co Donegal.
There was a strong demand for embryos with 38 embryos averaging £675 and topped at £1000 per embryo twice.
First lot to make £1000 per embryo was a consignment from ALH Genetics, Dammeloane 31, 9104 GS Damwald, Netherlands. Lambda is out of MS GS Caught By Surprise, HM All American spring yearling
2023 and was purchased by the Logan family based in Ayrshire.
Also achieving £1000 were two Unix-sired embryos out of Budjon-Vail Sundaysilence EX90, a Solomon daughter of the All-American and AllCanadian Blondin Goldwyn Subliminal EX97. The successful bidder here was Messrs Riley, Lancashire.