Image: OÖN
Breeding cattle auctions have been held regularly in Ried since 1930. The auction hall on the exhibition grounds, built in 1947, is still the venue for the monthly auctions today – at the 900th breeding cattle auction on Tuesday, February 21, starting at 11:30 a.m., genetically polled breeding bulls, high-performing young cows and a wide range of pregnant heifers are expected. And for the anniversary, prizes will be raffled, including a breeding calf.
The Simmental Breeding Association FIH has committed itself to the export of breeding cattle over the decades, according to Managing Director Josef Miesenberger. Under the motto “Fleckvieh from Ried all over the world”, breeding cattle have been and are being delivered to a wide variety of countries in cooperation with companies – a total of 220,000 animals. Of course, the structural change does not stop at the auctions either. The decline in farms resulted in fewer buyers and sellers, the growth of farms and the move to loose housing required a rethink of the service facility.
In the future, the animals will no longer have to be tied up at the auctions in Ried, according to the association. By installing a box system with raceways, the animals should be able to be auctioned off freely. According to Miesenberger, auctions still serve their purpose just as they used to. The offer is bundled, the buyers have the best selection and comparison options, the prices are also used as a guide for sales from the farm.
Source: Nachrichten
