Sheep Central livestock markets columnist Chris Howie.

IT is apparent continued rain, fantastic fattening feed and a shortage of lambs due to the two-year drought in the south is leading to producers holding lambs normally sold as stores.

In turn, this means a lamb – that is not sold twice (or sometimes three times), but marketed direct to slaughter — is now out of circulation, much the same as for feeder steers.

This may mean that lamb prices hold for longer than expected, with only a small hot weather correction caused by a flush of numbers. In recent sales, most quality lambs have traded in the mid to high $11/kg cwt area and best suckers are making over $400. Isaac Hill at the Wagga Regional Livestock said lambs have remained fresh with good tight skins and vendors are being well rewarded.

“At these prices we continue to draft and sell versus holding and shearing.”

I attended the yearly Elders crossbred lamb sale at Murray Bridge with a yarding of 9000. The main part of this sale is all the major processors attend to ensure they fly the flag. Over many years the sale consists of a run of good trade lambs then a large portion of stores. This year was completely reversed, with excellent quality and processors buying nearly all lambs down to 18kg dressed weight. Prices remain consistently between $220 and $300. It was also apparent shorn lambs made between and $10 and $15/head more than the same weight woolies for the store section. Lots of smiles and a large crowd of onlookers.

I gave Nutrien Bendigo Livestock account manager James Wilson a call. It was a good day for the green team ringing the bell on sucker lambs and heavy mutton prices. Best suckers, Merino/Poll Dorset cross, April-May drop estimated at 32kg dressed made $405 and a run of heavy ex stud Poll Dorset ewes estimated at 100-120kg liveweight made $401 from Pyramid Hill. James also mentioned the yarding of 27,000 had the second highest gross for the centre. The interesting fact is the highest gross was a yarding of 37,000, so the numbers are pretty good. Heavy mutton met very strong competition to be quoted $20 dearer, trade mutton $5 dearer, trade lambs firm and light stores lifted $20 on the back of a new buyer operating on the day.

We are now in a two-week cycle of pricing that will see some centres record a price lift and the following week numbers increase and prices ease. This is just a seasonal component of the auction system and understanding this dynamic can help you get on the right leg. A burst of hot weather and harvest can remove this cycle very quickly at this time of year.

Seasonal ewe sales are underway with best Merino ewes making over $500 and first cross ewes breaking $600. I think I have said before that many of these top prices are paid by program-driven repeat buyers and there are still plenty of buyable ewes available at a lot less money. The Naracoorte and Edenhope first cross ewe sales kick off in November with Naracoorte firing on Thursday the 12th and 19th November. AWN Horsham Livestock and Real Estate specialist Wayne Driscoll commented that they are drafting to a $250 price range in the Wimmera with seed on the horizon, before directing lambs to the shearing shed. AWN Edenhope will yard 10,000 ewes on the 12th November starting at 10.30am prior to Naracoorte. Wayne said “the ewes will present in outstanding condition with the season playing to the advantage of the breeders.”

Importance of the local saleyard

The big selling centres hold their own with weekly fat sales and seasonal store sales. However, many smaller communities have lost the seasonal livestock sales that run during the spring. It is easy to let them go, but it is such an important part of rural communities’ social scene. The ability to interface with AuctionsPlus or Stock Live gives smaller locations a national coverage and often the stock stay local anyway. Councils and agents need to look at retaining this Australian feature as long as possible or in some instances create new opportunities as we have seen at Marrabel and Karoonda in South Australia.

BeefEx on the Gold Coast

BeefEx was time well spent. Andrew Hosken and I attended the Australian Lot Feeders Association conference on behalf of the RMA Network in October. Putting the excellent line up of event speakers to one side, the contacts and discussions were extremely positive. Discussions covered data use, feeder supply into next year and industry level engagement. It was also an opportunity to have discussions with all the major feeders and processors in attendance. Both of us having watched the evolution of the feedlot industry. It is now an integral part of creating a stable demand and continuity of supply for producers and processors. A great event that you should pencil in for 2028.

Career pathways

At BeefEx, I caught up with a number of people who have completed training over the years with various companies, including Wodonga TAFE agency and supply chain graduates. I thought the conversation I had with Coles national livestock manager beef/lamb Jim Guilfoyle was worth putting into a couple of paragraphs; highlighting how one direction in a career can morph into a completely different opportunity.

After jackarooing at Hay, Jim started agency with an Elders traineeship, which provided a great learning ground. He is still in very close contact with most of them today. His first job was at Elders Deniliquin, where he elevated his auctioneering skills to a state win and a national final, as well as gathering mentors who provided him with the confidence to discuss opportunities as they arose.

This led Jim away from his agency pathway with a role in the feedlot sector as a buyer at Charlton Feedlot. He went from Charlton to Killara, then a step up to JBS officer in charge of feed commodities and eventually on a pathway through Coles to become national livestock manager beef/lamb.

It’s amazing how many roles are aligned to the meat and livestock supply chain that provide a variety of ways to build a career from genetics to end user and anywhere in between.

Speaking to Jim highlighted to me his own self-awareness in spreading himself too thin when it came to his executive role and his own family commitments. Through discussions with his mentors and employer he recently arrived at the decision to step down from this role to pursue his expanding family farming/ supply chain advisory business.

Jim told me he is looking forward to working with Coles to find the right replacement. He will continue to work with some capacity within this very dynamic team.

My view is I would encourage anyone wanting to try a different pathway in the livestock sector of the agricultural industry to do so. Don’t let fear stop you from applying. Often that experience alone will be of benefit to you. With the assistance of the right mentors you don’t know where it may lead you.

Flies and locusts

Recent rains have seen a run of flies with a bit of humidity. Get your non-sale sheep jetted in advance of harvest or shearing. If treating sale sheep be very aware of long export slaughter intervals and withholding periods. Many have been stung when trying to sell because of this.

Also, Mildura and further north into New South Wales are reporting significant locust hopper hatchings. It is important these are reported to access spraying protocols. Once they start to fly in swarms it is too late and they will even eat green shade cloth. For those travelling, the impact speed between a grasshopper bounce or splatter on the windscreen is 80km/h. That was in the 1998 Magna, it maybe different in a Tesla or Land Cruiser – please adjust accordingly.

The season, rain and pasture

Late September rain through South Australia and Victoria has put extra weeks on the feed growth and grain yield. Stock feed is outstanding and crops are exceptional.

Rainfall from the widespread front ranged from 15mm in lower north South Australia and Wagga to 87mm at Tallangatta.

On the back of this rain, a few phone calls have come in regarding short-term trading opportunities. At present, with fuel prices and a very toppy store market it is hard enough, I think, on a short-term; however, looking to the dry areas is still worth a shot. From Omeo east into the northern Gippsland is quite plain and maybe worth a call. It is also starting to become quite dry in Northern NSW and Southern Queensland. I was surprised at how many areas have had good feed growing rain, but are still a bit short on surface water in dams. The sniff of rain in the north saw store prices jump very quickly across the board.

Central and far north Queensland received some significant falls which have shortened supply very quickly with restricted road access in some areas. Younger cattle lifted 30-50 cents in a matter of hours and we have seen several processor and feedlot grids move up which is common after a good rain. However, the heat has set in for northern NSW and other than some good falls around Burren Junction many places are still very dry.

Mitch Donovan from Donovan Livestock and Property at Grafton said it had been dry, but a drop of 30mm two weeks ago saw the store sale numbers drop from 1500 to 500 and a rapid improvement in prices.

In the south, harvest is probably 2-3 weeks behind normal as many crops are still holding a fair bit of green. As mentioned, many producers are holding stock longer on the excellent feed and targeting slaughter weights.

Spring supply

It’s that time of the year when working the phones is critical in looking for buyers. Social media does not replace old fashion phone work if you want the best outcomes. Booking space without price can often leave you with no time to manoeuvre if the week before delivery the rate eases significantly. We are still seeing calls being made at present to find spot kill lambs and rain or no rain is seeing pricing remain very fluid at present on larger runs of quality stock.

Cattle

After observing cull bulls sold at a few fat sales it has become apparent the trade value on a good clean bull is anywhere from $3800-$5000. Using that win on top of your budgeted sire spend seems like a great way to upgrade your purchase quality and speed up your herd improvement.

Wagga cattle this week remained solid across the board, and although early, the buyer price calls were testing the market on cows until it settled down. Best cows remain solid in the low $4/kg lwt range. Feeders offered at the same sale saw a run of Black baldies in the mid 400kg range making $5.43/kg and the best line topping at $5.54. An unusual season has led to the straight blacks being sold earlier in September at similar money and now their white-faced cousins are making the same coin. It is important to be careful comparing sale yard price to on farm prices for feeders; 25 cents a kilogram disappears very quickly with fuel, freight and yard fees at present. A little less on farm can mean more in the bank.

What has changed? In simple terms it is supply. The southern season is so good that traditional backgrounding operations have kept the foot down and turned feeders into bullocks. One backgrounder in the Murray Valleys turned their traditional July 470 kg feeders into 650-700 kg bullocks. They made sure they became program accredited and took a grid price of well over $9/kg. It doesn’t happen every year, but it’s good when it does, especially when you take the time to tick the program accreditation boxes.

Cows and calves still seem to be the best value on buying at present; not the elite front paddock models, but the mid-aged cows in working condition with fresh calves at foot. These still provide multiple sale out lets and if the season kicks on the cow can be rejoined.

Weaner sales are fast approaching with the first runs scheduled in the south and Western Australia for late October, November and early December. For vendors, weaning has proven to be worth the effort over the past 10 years, especially for heavier calves that fit into the feedlot specifications. Animal health protocols, bloodline identification and program eligibility are all being sought now and equate to money in the bank for the seller with additional competition. Take the time with your agent to look at what you can do in advance of trucking to the yards.

Opportunities

 Log into the electronic sale platforms, still some good buying to be found

 Cows and calves – multiple options

 Always Merinos with some skin/fleece

 Wean your weaners

 Get your assurance programs registered and put them on sale placards