ASSOCIATION NEWSLETTERS

President's comments.

Hello, What an incredible grass growing season we've had. The best I can remember in the 22years I've been farming here. On top of that sheep and beef prices have also been excellent, though prices have eased on the traditional autumn kill. The beef price should climb again as we get into the winter. Certainly purchasers at the weaner fairs are paying up to $3 a kilo liveweight for the better traditional cattle. They must be confident of the higher prices returning.

It is good to see New Zealand having such a strong group (ten people) travelling to the next Devon World Conference, in Brazil, in May. These get togethers along with the Cattle, Bulldust, Breedplan and the Devon Websites, are the strands that hold the Devon community together. Being the minnows of the Devon world this outside contact is particularly important for us, allowing us to find and source new genetics and ideas, it also allows our own pasture based genetics a shop window. Just a mention about the importance of our herdbook. This is one of the main reasons our Association exists. A big thank you to those who set it up originally pre 1990. The herdbook records the pedigrees of our cattle and has been built up at some cost by members over the last 20 plus years. It is our most valuable asset and gives as far as possible a guarantee, to a purchaser of our cattle. If every animal was DNA tested then it would be a 100% guarantee but DNA testing would probably double our costs.

Finally the 2012 AGM is in Fielding on June 9th/10th. I will look forward to seeing you there.

Colin
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President's comments.

Nearly Christmas already, time flies. Hope you have come through calving OK and now have lots of grass waving in the wind. Personally I ran into a bit of trouble calving my two year old heifers this year and lost two out of fifteen calves. The reasons were probably the heifers were in very good condition/too fat and the bull I had used had an above average birth weight EBV producing some heavy calves. Hopefully I have learnt my lesson. I am using a lower birth weight bull this year and will keep the condition down with better management.
It is good to see stock prices so buoyant with a likely hood of them staying high. I can see a prime beef shortage occurring here in the next year or two, which should keep prices up. Beef cow numbers are static and less beef is coming from the dairy herd as dairy farmers chase the export dairy heifer trade.
We have a new patron. Joan Power has agreed to be our patron following our AGM decision. Long standing members will know Joan well, she is of good Devon stock and ran the Isca stud for twenty years. She was also our breed secretary in the early nineties and served on Council for many years. Joan is a strong supporter of the Devon breed and has worked tirelessly over the years. Having said that I am sure she would acknowledge what pleasure she has received working with such quiet and beautiful cattle.
Just a reminder of the dates for the next World Devon Conference, which is held every four years. It is the turn of Brazil in 2012 and will be held from 10th to 25th of May. Details of the itinerary to follow. If you were wondering how the rotation of the World Conference venues has gone over the last twenty years it is UK, New Zealand, U.S.A, Australia and Brazil.

Happy Christmas.

Colin.
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