On The Land
21 September, 2022
Bringing the sales back to the people
THERE hasn't been a cattle sale in Innisfail since February and Malanda since March 2020, when Covid shut down the world but now, Queensland Rural Livestock specialists, Ken Weldon and Luke Hickmott, are excited about bringing those sales back this week.
Mr Hickmott said they had been fielding a lot of enquiries from producers about dates for local sales and were pleased to be able to announce the first store sales of 2022 will be held at the Innisfail Showground at 6.30pm on Friday and at the Malanda Showground, on Saturday at 9am.
“We will have some good lines of 200-330kg cross-bred cattle, all locally born, bred and acclimatised and ready to perform for buyers. Vendors will be booking into a confident market with a couple of southern buyers in attendance and another La Nina forecast for the 2023 season,” he said.
“The store market has been lifting week on week after a sharp Foot and Mouth Disease-related slump in August and buyers are spending again.
“In fact, we have had even more phone calls from re-stockers chasing softer droughty type steers than we have had from vendors keen to sell.”
The Re-stocker Yearling Steer Indicator rolling seven-day average supports this observation, lifting from a post FMD average price of 524.86c/kg on 29 July up to a 16 September level of 656.56 c/kg, a rise of just under 128c/kg.
The EYCI (Eastern Young Cattle Index) lifted from 887.74c/kg to 1036.23c/kg during the same period.
Malanda Show Society Inc representative Colleen McLucas said it was great to see the return of the Malanda sale as it had been missed by locals.
“It brings cattle to buyers that are just looking to pick up a few head for their paddock,” she said.
“It's really handy for smaller producers who work during the week and can't get to the Mareeba sales and being right on their doorstep reduces the costs involved for them. Spring rain has created a flush of new grass, so paddocks will be ready for stock.”
Mr Weldon said it was a similar situation around Innisfail.
“There will be a lot of local buyer demand from farmers who have sold cattle and can't get to Mareeba or can't find the right article there to buy,” he said.
“After a long winter, the heat here now is making the coastal feed start to fly.
“We currently have about a 60/40 ratio of cattle on offer at the moment, with about 60 per cent cross breeds and 40 per cent Brahman cattle that should suit both local and western markets.
“We would like to make this sale a regular event again, hopefully monthly if the support is there.”
Dustyn Fitzgerald from the Charters Towers operation will be auctioneering and with food available at both venues and a bar supplying beverages at Innisfail, it will also provide people with a great opportunity to catch up.
“We are expecting this to be a strong sale, so if you have cattle you are thinking about unloading, there is still time. Just call your preferred agent and we will fit them in,” Mr Weldon said.
