Record UK prices paid for Holsteins at auction

Holstein prices achieved a UK record of 90,000gns at an on-farm auction in Cheshire on 19 August, when cows and heifers from Riverdane Holsteins went under the hammer, attracting buyers from around the world.

Riverdane KD Hannah reached the top price of 90,000gns, which is believed to be a joint Holstein breed record.

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Auctioneer Glyn Lucas of Harrison & Hetherington told Farmers Weekly it was also a record average price for a breeder’s sale in the UK, with 148 lots averaging £5,543 a head.

Mr Lucas said there were about 13 lots which each topped 10,000gns.

“It was a phenomenal sale with a huge crowd of buyers from across the UK, Ireland and Europe,” he added.

Farmer Mark Nutsford, who hosted the sale, said trade was fantastic and the family was a bit overwhelmed by the support, with people travelling from Germany, the Netherlands, Latvia, Canada and the United States to attend.

“One of the reasons I have pedigrees is to breed leading genetics, and I love selling the good ones,” he said.

Mr Nutsford added that it could be hard to make a living from dairy farming alone, but selling quality genetics had helped him invest in new equipment and buildings for the cows.