MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Uruguay: Expo Prado sales reach 400,000 US dollars.

Sales in the main Uruguayan Agriculture show that closed doors until next September, reached 391,695 US dollars but the sum could jump to over 400,000 once the off track private sales are fully recorded.

The fourteen days show that attracts the best cattle, sheep, horses and pigs of Uruguay in its 98th edition was overall considered very encouraging reflecting the promising atmosphere and prospects for Uruguayan farmers after several years of declining prices, growing debts and mounting costs.

Total auction sales of 295 animals reached 391,695 US dollars: 78 cattle totalled 204,950 US dollars; 89 rams and ewes, 128,270 US dollars; 29 horses 53,220 US dollars and 5,255 US dollars for 29 hogs.

According to the official sales report outstanding prices include 32 Hereford bulls (Uruguay's main beef breed) with a maximum 19,000 US dollars for the second best Polled Hereford; 15 Aberdeen Angus bulls averaged 2,800 US dollars with the best price 9,500 US dollars for the second best bull.

Regarding sheep, 50 Corriedale rams (leading breed of Uruguay's flock) were sold in the show averaging 1,476 US dollars with the best price reaching 11,000 US dollars. The best Merino ram was auctioned at 9,500 US dollars.

Criollo horses attracted the biggest auction audience and a total of 18 were sold at an average price of 1,920 US dollars (approx. £ 1,200) with the highest prices for two stallions, 5,400 and 4,800 US dollars (approx. £ 3,375 and £ 3,000).

Nine Quarter Mile and two pregnant mares were auctioned averaging 1,368 US dollars (£ 855). Horse prices ranged between 480 and 840 US dollars and an average 660 US dollars (£ 415) while the pregnant mares were sold at 2,040 (£ 1,275) and 1,560 US dollars (£ 975).

Gerardo Zambrano head of one of the main auction houses said that prices "are encouraging, showing new prospects for camp, farmers want to invest, but prices are still below expectations".

Mr. Zambrano added that contrary to previous editions when interest in sheep farming was dropping, "most rams were sold and with cattle we have a bull's market".

Dohne Merino

An interesting event during the Prado Agriculture show was the official presentation of the Dohne sheep, imported from South Africa where it's a leading wool breed and rapidly expanding in Australia.

Dohen is a double purpose sheep, (with much finer wool), a cross between Merino Peppin and the German Meat Merino developed by the South African Agriculture Ministry.

According to the presentation Dohne has a high fertility (110 to 150%), with lambs growing an average 350 grams per day with ewes weighing between 55 and 65 kilos. Wool production is four to six kilos per ovine with high quality wool of 19 to 22 microns.

Certified organic production

Uruguay has 350,000 certified organic hectares which produce fruit, vegetables, meat, cereals, rice, wine, honey and aromatic plants both for the local market and overseas. However organic farmers are still waiting for the legal framework that would protect organic production and help to impose an official labelling and traceability system.

"We are lobbying strongly to have a bill approved that will definitively define what is organic, so the consumer can be sure of what he's purchasing and there are responsible farms and companies behind every label", indicated Mr. Rafael Tellería, president of Uruguay's Organic Production Movement.

Mr. Tellería added that the movement is also promoting mainly among school children --future consumers--, the importance of organic production with its positive impact for the environment.

Further on Mr. Tellería revealed that there are two local Uruguayan companies waiting to be registered as organic produce certifiers, ready to join efforts with international certifiers that currently licence Uruguayan organic exports to United States and the European Union.

Japan's External Trade Organization, JETRO Director General Kimihiko Inaba in a recent visit to Uruguay said that "Japan has purchased organic wines and honey from Uruguay, and we're very satisfied, but there are many other products to develop".

"The SARS outbreak and scare in China is an excellent opportunity to sell certified organic produce in the Far East", said Mr. Inaba.