IT was a sale with an international flavour - visitors from Argentina, South Africa and Canada converged on Gracemere Saleyards for the National Braford Bull Sale last week.
However, it was the Canadians that made their presence felt early into the sale when global genetics company Semex Canada bid $20,000 for 32-month-old Carinya Onslow.
Global beef program manager Myles Immerkar made the bid, organised the paperwork and was back on a plane to Canada that afternoon.
"I have been here for 10 days looking at tropical breeds - Braford, Brangus, Droughtmaster and Brahmans," he said, before heading off to catch his flight.
"We don't have a source of these in our breeding program."
The company is set up to provide genetic and breeding solutions to more than 100 countries and exports 25 different beef breeds to global markets.
What was missing were the tropical breeds.
"We are certainly impressed with the quality of Brafords here."
Mr Immerkar bought a Braford bull at the Ascot sale last week and has organised to buy more bulls from different breeds at upcoming sales in central Queensland over the next three weeks.
"All the bulls we buy this month will go to the Victoria Livestock Genetics artificial insemination centre and we'll collect their genetics and take it to Canada and then export it to 110 countries."
The centre in Victoria was chosen, he said, because it made it easier to export to the south and the same number of health tests were not required.
The bulls have a lifetime market and will remain at the centre.
Mr Immerkar is no stranger to the region and has made an annual trip here three times.
This time, he has noticed the dry.
"We have seen some dry country. But when we buy genetics, it is good to see the cattle can withstand this, particularly when we go to places like the Middle East to market genetics."
Asked whether the changes in protocols for export from Australia to the US would have any impact on Canada:
"Canada is looking to change to the US health protocol, but it's not as easy. That's why we have to move south to make collections."
