Cattle shipment to Bosnia under rain

A new group of 27 young Salers cattle, including six pregnant heifers, left the Cantal region for Bosnia and Herzegovina last week despite heavy rain. The journey, lasting over 22 hours with two stops, was organized by Intergènes, the commercial arm of the Salers Herd-book, with Mirko Devcic, president of HUU Salers Croatia, acting as the intermediary.

Quarantine and future grazing

Upon arrival in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the cattle will undergo a new quarantine before being moved to a farm with approximately 1,500 hectares of pastures for outdoor breeding. The farm is located in a large karst area in the western part of the country, one of the least populated regions.

Bosnian breeder's expansion plans

Dalibor Runjo, a Bosnian breeder and café owner, is one of the buyers. He operates the Crni Vrh farm in Glamoc and currently has 28 adult cows, five heifers, and a bull. He plans to expand his herd to about 100 cows, choosing Salers for their hardiness, cold resistance, ease of calving, and low feeding needs.

Salers' qualities and selection process

Salers are described as large, robust animals known for producing high-quality meat. Runjo visited several farms in the breed's birthplace last June to select animals based on their character, pedigree, and physical traits, with guidance from Intergènes and French professionals.

Opportunity in Balkan markets

For Daniel Mayère, a French breeder, the Bosnian market represents a significant opportunity. He sent eight young heifers aged 10 to 13 months, which sold for 2,200 euros in Bosnia, compared to 1,600 to 1,900 euros in France. He has been breeding Salers since 1988, favoring them for their ease of calving and has been using the Fau evaluation station for breeding.

Local breeder's perspective

Stéphane Gaillard in the Jordan valley also sees his barn emptying quickly but hopes to hold out until spring with stored feed. He welcomed the sale of six young heifers to Bosnia, noting that such exports had been rare for a few years due to the FCO (French Cattle Office) restrictions. These markets are seen as beneficial in the current challenging context.

Selection from multiple farms

In total, the Bosnian buyer selected heifers from four different farms, including those from the Duval Salers farm and the Dayral farm. This indicates a broader effort to source quality breeding stock for the expansion of the herd in Bosnia and Herzegovina.