Coming soon: Zimbabwe’s premier annual National Breed Sale

The 56th National Breed Sale, hosted by the Zimbabwe Herd Book (ZHB), is set to take place on July 26, 2024, at the CC Sales venue in Mount Hampden, Harare. There is a pre-sale viewing of the livestock on July 24-25, 2024.

This annual sale is the ZHB’s flagship event and the most important date on the Zimbabwean cattle industry’s calendar. It showcases registered stock such as rams, ewes, bulls, young heifers, pregnant heifers, and more from various breed societies in Zimbabwe.

Zimbabwe Herd Book

Pedigree livestock, also known as stud animals, are the seed stock of Zimbabwe’s cattle industry. The Zimbabwe Herd Book was established by an Act of Parliament in 1980 to oversee the registration of pedigree livestock. Stud breeding involves the controlled mating of livestock and detailed birth notifications of progeny with parents are recorded in the Herd Book. In addition, breeders also record fertility, survival and growth performance.

Stud breeding, or genetics, is the cornerstone of commercial livestock production. A strong commercial industry is dependent on a healthy, vibrant stud industry to offer stud/breeding stock that meets requirements in a range of production environments and market scenarios.

Elite offerings

At its annual National Sales, all animals on offer have undergone rigorous veterinary examinations and inspections so that the livestock industry is offered a wide range of top-quality genetics.

Stud breeding is a long-term passion where breeders strive to breed the “best” animal. Breeders apply modern breeding technologies to carefully select animals to be parents of the next generation and so in doing, improve the genetic merit of future generations.

Stud breeding also requires the meticulous recording of parentage (pedigree) as well as specific performance data that measures reproduction, survival and growth. These performance figures together with the parentage information, are used to select the best animals to be parents of the next generation. Genetic improvement is therefore passed on from generation to generation.