STERITA Park Angus stud only started in 2002 but in a few short years has become the envy of many in the seedstock industry.
Last year the South Australian stud's sale achieved a total clearance of 30 bulls, for an enviable average of $4500, the highest in the state.
In 2008, the sale recorded a complete clearance and a $3850 average.
Sterita Park bulls have gone into herds throughout South Australia's South East and southwest Victoria.
Not a bad start, considering Sterita Park's relative newcomer status in the stud world. But, newcomers to quality cattle breeding the Di Giorgio family are not.
Each year the family, from Lucindale, sells about 700 weaner steers and 450 heifers through the Naracoorte saleyards, and their stock are always among the more sought-after lines.
Last December, at the early Naracoorte sale when buyers were nervous and restocker interest came from locals, the family sold 600 Angus and black baldy steers, making 175-180c/kg for steers weighing 380-420kg - about 30kg heavier than normal due to the improved seasonal conditions.
As Nanni Di Giorgio puts it, the stud was started to give the family greater control of the genetics that performed best within an autumn-calving commercial herd.
Nanni's parents Steve and Rita migrated to Australia from Italy in the early 1950s and starting from scratch, working on other farms by day and clearing their own land by night.
Starting with 160ha bush block, the family, through their farming and land development contracting, built up their holding to 900ha. Now they run commercial sheep and cattle, the stud, vineyards and winery, Di Giorgio Family Wines in Coonawarra.
Nanni says his first priority in genetics remained fertility.
"The stud was founded on leading genetics from around Australia, and semen from the US," Nanni said.
"Fertility remains No 1 for me, cows have to get in calf year after year.
"Rib and rump fat, as well as growth, are really important. I have a firm focus on the economic traits that affect growth, carcass, marbling. At the end of the day, those factors are what make money."
The 200 stud cows are run alongside the commercial herd, with bulls prepared for sale without being grazed on irrigated pastures or fed grain.
Nanni said tools such as Breedplan were useful but each bloodline had to also prove itself commercially.
Other tools such as DNA marker technology would play a role in future, Nanni said, but he would be waiting for their accuracy to increase.
This year Sterita Park will offer 39 bulls aged 23-24 months. The draft includes 16 sons of US sire Bennett Total.
Nanni plans to gradually increase bull numbers, as the client base grows. Selling weaners though the saleyards annually also helps the Di Giorgios grow the awareness of their cattle, and how they perform commercially.
"That helps set us apart," he said.
"We've moved away from Herefords, even though they are great cattle. I think the Angus breed had progressed at a great rate and is leaving other breeds behind."
Nanni said keeping costs down was a constant challenge. "We just have to constantly keep trying to do it better," he said.
Sterita Park's bull sale will be held on-property at Lucindale on February 18.
