Chronicle Editor
Patrick Chitumba, Midlands Bureau Chief
THE pungent smell of hay and manure is in the air and there is noise from mooing cows.
It is a Wednesday afternoon and the big day is finally here for cattle farmers from all walks of life to buy cattle at an auction run by CC Sales auctioneers at the Gweru Show Grounds for Midlands Cattle Company.
There are also SwiftVee online auctioneers broadcasting the auction across the world for online buyers which has seen farmers based in the United Kingdom and United States but with farms here, buying pedigree bulls.
Local farmers from across the country are at the auction to buy the best cattle on offer.
The auction market has evolved significantly with auctioneers taking advantage of new technology to keep buyers and sellers around the world informed about what is happening in real-time through online auctions as well.
Auctions are an integral part of the cattle industry because they provide an opportunity for livestock farmers such as Midlands Cattle Company to reach customers.
Buyers brought trucks to move the cattle they bought to their respective farms.
The farmers who included Gweru Mayor Councillor Hamutendi Kombayi were in worksuits, jeans and shorts as they moved around inspecting the cattle on offer.
After registering for the auction at the auction office, potential buyers were given numbered placards.
When bidding one raises his or her numbered placard.
There were also companies advertising farming related goods and services taking advantage of the presence of farmers.
The auctioneer spelt out the rules and regulations for the auction which included observing that the cattle were in good physical condition so that they are able to walk onto an auction ring without assistance from a handler.
The cattle were supposed to have no visible signs of disease or injury and each beast was supposed to have a health certificate from the veterinary services department to show that it was healthy, free of diseases and could be transported legally.
At the auction were pedigree Brahman and Tuli breed from Mr Phillip Reed’s farm in Gweru.
The Tuli are a native Zimbabwean breed while the Brahman was imported from the United States of America back in the 1950s.
In an interview after the auction, Mr Reed who runs Midlands Cattle Company, said the auction was a success.
“We had buyers from across the country and to add icing on the cake, we had international buyers from the United Kingdom and United States of America participating virtually. They bought some bulls and cows for their farms which are in the country,” he said.
Mr Reed said the auction is growing every year.
“At the end of the day it’s about buying Zimbabwe, proudly the Zimbabwean concept is being sold here. We want the country to be recognised as a pedigree breeding country and that is good in terms of foreign currency earnings,” he said.
One of the pedigree Tuli bulls went for US$7 000 which was an indication of how popular the breed is becoming among farmers.
A buyer from Shurugwi, Mr Maxwell Sibanda was a happy person after buying two pedigree Tuli bulls for US$3 000 each.
“Auctions are great for us buyers. There were dozens of cattle to choose from and I managed to bid for two Tuli breeds for US$3 000 for my farm,” he said.
Online Reporter