Our annual cattle sale draws in a big crowd

Farmers from across the Territory and interstate gathered at the 2019 Alice Springs Annual Show Cattle Sale.

3900 cattle were sold at the Bohning Yards on Thursday's Steer Auction. Picture: SATRIA DYER-DARMAWAN

Farmers from across the Territory and interstate gathered at the 2019 Alice Springs Annual Show Cattle Sale.

David Eagleson, Lifestyle Manager of Territory Rural McPherson, said due to dry conditions this year some people have already had to sell a few cattle, which opened the sale up to other classes of cattle resulting in just under 4000 being sold.

3900 cattle were sold at the Bohning Yards on Thursday's Steer Auction. Picture: SATRIA DYER-DARMAWAN

“Sometimes it’s not quite as many as that, but obviously because of the dryer weather a few people wanted to move, but at the end of the day, I probably knew we were going to get that cattle,” Mr Eagleson said.

“When your running sales you never really know who’s going to turn up, you try and do your homework and try and get as many buyers as you can because it’s good to have people in the laneways, but obviously there was a fair difference in class of cattle.

“Some have got a bit of rain and were a lot better and a lot fresher, and their steer were highly sort of, and unfortunately there were a few people that missed the rain and their cattle are a bit rougher.

Many people were keen to purchase cattle at the auction. Picture: SATRIA DYER-DARMAWAN

“The market, because it’s so dry right around Australia, there’s limit in places you can go, so there’s a fair variation in price but overall really the sale went well.”

The opening bid for the cattle sale saw a single steer go on sale for charity to raise funds for the Royal Flying Doctor Service in an act of kindness.

The steer, which belongs to Landmark and Calomba Transport was previously purchased for $2000 for charity.

Ginette Jenkin of Calomba Transport said they decided to pay that forward and put it back on the Alice Springs Cattle Sale Auction. The steer was purchased for $1300 by Peter Daniel of Territory Rural McPherson.

3900 cattle were sold at the Bohning Yards on Thursday's Steer Auction. Picture: SATRIA DYER-DARMAWAN

“Just to get it back into the local area which the Royal Flying Doctor obviously has a massive impact on Alice Springs,” Ms Jenkin said.

David Eagleson, Ginette Jenkin and Peter Daniel with the steer that was purchased for $1300. All proceeds will go towards the Royal Flying Doctor Service. Picture: SATRIA DYER-DARMAWAN

Mr Daniel said his organisation are big supporters of any charity event and also said that the weather conditions are having a big impact.

“The way the seasonal conditions are, you can’t produce what suits the market, you suffer severely and it rolls onto all the businesses in town, and people of all places,” Mr Daniel said.

“He (cattle) will go to Queensland now with some other cattle, he will go into Channel Country and fatten up, and sell him for another charity when he is big and fat so he will help three courses in his life so he’s a very popular little steer this fella.”