Shepparton dairy cattle sale: Volume buyers save the day

THE total clearance of 630 unjoined dairy heifers was judged a success despite the lower prices at this year’s annual sale at Shepparton.
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Last Thursday’s offering was always going to test the market given the tough seasonal conditions in northern Victoria and the lack of confidence in the dairy industry.
But Maddison Livestock and Property manager Neil Maddison said the total clearance was a good result given the circumstances.
“It’s not that the farmers don’t want to buy the heifers — they just can’t with no feed and water and fodder prices so high,” Mr Maddison said.
What saved the sale was a couple of volume buyers who took big lines, including one from the Western District who bought 185 heifers.
Heifers also sold to other buyers from the Western District and to South Gippsland, but few locals bought.
The sale top price was $710, paid for a pen of 11 Friesian heifers, 14 months and ready to join, sold by Goulburn Winds from the Goulburn Valley.
Mr Maddison said the main competition was for lines in this age group, with the best prices paid for anything that was at joinable age.
These lines of heifers made $500 to $700, down on last year, where similar age heifers made up to $900.
Younger heifers, nine to 12 months, made $450-$550 while the youngest lines, ranging from three months to nine months, sold as cheaply as $180 and up to $300.
Brendan Trevaskis, from Murchison, sold 39 heifers, eight to 10 months, to $350 for some Friesians and for an average of $242.
Mr Trevaskis, who buys young calves to rear, said given the season he had expected an average of about $150. “I thought prices for the bottom end of the heifers was really good, the middle run was cheap and top heifers were really buyable if you have feed,” he said.
The 50 bulls sold to $2150 for a Black Limousin sold by Wyrerun Pastoral at Nagambie.

Mirá También

Así lo expresó Domingo Possetto, secretario de la seccional Rafaela, quien además, afirmó que a los productores «habitualmente los ignoran los gobiernos». Además, reconoció la labor de los empresarios de las firmas locales y aseguró que están «esperanzados» con la negociación entre SanCor y Adecoagro.

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