2009-06-22 - Its Sembetsu time!!

Sembetsu means, selection time. Most breeders are finished with the spawning, and so it is time for sembetsu.
Today, while visiting Yamamatsu Koi farm, I was Invited by Toshiaki Sakai, to help for a while with the sembetsu of “matsunosuke” sanke. They were just a couple of weeks old.

At this first stage it is incredible what amount of Koi is selected as “no go”. Almost 90% will never make through the tough first selection, and will be used as food for their brothers and sisters who made it through.
So if some of you sometimes ask why some breeders ask a high price for their Koi, you now know why. As Sakai has a very strict selection, and he only wants to keep the higher quality Koi.
Some other breeders just keep a higher percentage of their bred Koi, and sell these fish at a lower price, as they are lower grade indeed.

Kind regards,

Rob de Vos
Ornafish Japan Co.,Ltd