Bull sales: How Victorian studs fared this autumn
It’s been a stellar season for cattle producers selling stud bulls this autumn. We’ve analysed results from the major southern sales.
LOCAL support was just as essential as interstate buyers for autumn bull sales this year as Victorian studs reaped the rewards of the sustained cattle market highs.
Of the 79 major southern Australian bull sales reported on by The Weekly Times, 31 have averaged more than $10,000 and almost all have shown a lift in averages.
Of those 31, 12 were Victorian sales.
Last year only one stud, Banquet Angus, exceeded $10,000 with an average of $10,041.
Elders stud stock manager for Victoria and Riverina Ross Milne said recent bulls sales flourished on the back of “a very strong cattle market at present”.
“Buyers just had confidence reinvesting this year in the bull power and genetics on the back of such strong cattle prices. They’ve got better cashflow and the season has been very good,” Mr Milne said. “And it looks like these prices are going to be sustainable for the next little while with the good rain we’ve see in Victoria and obviously the rain in NSW and Queensland.”
It was a “once-in-a-lifetime average” for Adameluca Angus who achieved an $11,486 average for their 37 bulls which sold to full clearance — an increase of just over $5000 from last year’s sale.
Stud principal Sam Trovatello said it was the first time the stud hit more than $10,000 for an average price.
“We had a lot of local support and we’re seeing our bloodlines more and more in the local market, particularly at the weaner sales,” Mr Trovatello said.
Lawson Angus at Yea sold a total of 330 bulls across their Victorian sale and their three Western Australia sales.
The Lawsons sold 197 bulls to full clearance to average $8990, adding almost $2000 to their 2020 average despite putting forward an extra 50 bulls to the sale to keep prices down for their commercial clients.
“Once you start getting over $10,000 for bulls it’s hard to justify.
“We try and read the market and plan forward for those high prices, which we saw really come up last spring,” stud principal Harry Lawson said.
The recent Leawood Angus at Flynn sold 41 bulls to full clearance for an average of $8188 and top of $15,000 — an increase of $2957 on last year.
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