Semen from Australia's most expensive bull has been sold at auction for an eye-watering $24,000.
North Queensland graziers Mark and Pam Prichard bought 10 straws of the sought-after semen for $2,400 each at the Big Country Brahman Sale in Charters Towers.
The packages came from a seven-year-old grey brahman called NCC Justified, who broke a national record in 2017 when he sold for $325,000.
Ms Prichard said she and her husband had been prepared to pay even more for the semen.
"I've had my eye on that bull for quite a while," she said.
"I like the type of him and obviously he sold extremely well when he was sold as a young bull.
"We're a new stud and genetics are our main focus. I was pretty happy to be able to purchase those straws and have them in our inventory."
Hundreds of people attended the sale.
Queensland Rural sale convenor Shaun Flanagan said straws of bull semen can sell for as little as $10, while "premium" products usually fetch a few hundred dollars.
He said a $24,000 price tag for the semen was a testament to the value of good genetics for IVF.
"Years ago, one straw of semen would be used per cow to get it in calf," he said.
"Now, with embryo technology, they can use one straw and do multiple embryos at a time – so one straw might actually produce 10 calves.
"It's a phenomenal scientific advancement."
Big bulls bring big bucks
The Big Country Brahman Sale attracts buyers from across Australia, and it's not unheard of for people to spend more than $100,000 on a single animal.
Catherine McKenzie from Arizona Brahman Stud in Queensland's Central Highlands brought six of her bulls to the sale.
Her lead bull, named Sir Presley, was purchased for a staggering $170,000. A price that broke the event's record.
"My husband and my children and myself are absolutely blown away. We never, ever expected for that to ever happen," she said.
"It's a pretty surreal feeling.
"We're a very, very small stud. It's a hobby to me … it's a passion I've always had."
Ms McKenzie said the record sale was the icing on the cake after finally recovering from devastating drought in 2019.
"We've been on Arizona for 30 years and this is the best season we've ever had," she said.
