Age no barrier to 91-year-old cattle farmer buying stock online
Bill Weidner of Bungowannah Park has been a saleyard regular for the past 75 years, and has some constructive advice for online auction service providers.
AT THE age of 91, cattle farmer Bill Weidner is fit, healthy and determined to keep his Riverina beef operation, Bungowannah Park, in a similarly healthy state despite coronavirus restrictions barring him from the Wodonga saleyards.
Age has been no barrier to Bill buying cattle online, to keep the 465ha property at Bungowannah, near Albury, stocked while seasonal conditions are good for grazing.
In the past month he has bought $160,000 in cattle through StockLive, the online service that streams auctions from Northern Victoria Livestock Exchange saleyards.
“I’ve been attending the Wodonga cattle sale for the last 75 years. Right through all my life I have gone to most of the sales,” Bill said.
He spent $75,000 in his first online purchase of Angus- cross cattle, followed by another $85,000 transaction this month.
“I have wanted to buy cattle for the past three months and had a lot of feed that I could have fed cattle. I bought them a month ago now and missed out on improving the cattle,” he said.
Bill aims to run about 600 cattle, growing out cows and steers for feedlots or markets, with a little help from his daughter, Gayle Quinn.
“Having the ability to purchase livestock online and have it delivered ensures Bungowannah Park can continue as usual,” Gayle said.
“And while I click the bids, it’s very much under the direction of Dad sitting beside me doing the selection and purchasing, just as he has always done.”
Bill had some constructive advice about how the online service could be improved.
“The auction system they have at Wodonga, they walk along the fence and take photos. The cattle look like ants,” he said.
If breed and condition descriptions were more accurate it may have encouraged him to buy more online, he said.
“Until the sales open up again, I will stick with what I’ve got,” Bill said.
“They have everything else open. You can go to cafes and pictures, but you can’t go to the saleyards. It is ridiculous. When it opens I will go back.”
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