Inverell Cattle Sale – Tuesday 1st April.
Following the trend in most Northern areas there was a small yarding of 400 head.
Most classes of cattle were represented.
Quality was mixed, although there were some well-bred and well finished cattle through the sale.
Most of the usual buyers were present and-operating in a strong market.
Restocker weaner steers sold from 378c to 422c, while yearling steers to feed sold from 360c to 390c/kg.
Yearling heifers to feed and restock sold from 330c to 362c/kg.
There were only a few grown steers that ranged from 350c to 370c to process, while feeder steers realised the same price. Grown heifers sold to 366c/kg.
There was a fair penning of cows, 3 and 4 scores sold from 298c to 335c/kg.
Heavy bulls reached a top price of 318c/kg.
Doug Robson Reporter.
NO CATTLE SALE in ROMA this week due to the flooding in western Queensland.
Dalby Cattle Sale – Wednesday 2nd April.
2673 HEAD SOLD YESTERDAY. LOWER NUMBERS CAUSED BY THE RAIN, THE LOCAL CATTLE MET STRONF DEMAND, PARTICULARY IN THE YEARLING CATTLE
YEARLING STEERS C2 SCORE
UNDER 200 KGS SOLD TO 468 TO AVERAGE 465
200 TO 280 KGS SOLD TO 456 TO AVERAGE 445 OR $1157
280 TO 330 KGS SOLD TO 454 TO AVERAGE 436
330 TO 400 KGS SOLD TO 420 TO AVERAGE 388
OVER 400 KGS SOLD TO 410 TO AVERAGE 384
GROWN STEERS C4 SCORE TO PROCESSORS
500 TO 600 KGS SOLD TO 386 TO AVERAGE 377
600 TO 750 KGS SOLD TO 404 TO AVERAGE 388
YEARLING HEIFERS C2 SCORE
200 TO 280 KGS SOLD TO 364 TO AVERAGE 346
280 TO 330 KGS SOLD TO 358 TO AVERAGE 356
330 TO 400 KGS SOLD TO 360 TO AVERAGE 340
COWS UNDER 520 KGS
D4 COWS SOLD TO 334 TO AVERAGE 323
COWS OVER 520 KGS
D3 COWS SOLD TO 315 TO AVERAGE 305
D4 COWS SOLD TO 335 TO AVERAGE 328 OR $1782
BULLS OVER 600 KGS SOLD TO 342 TO AVERAGE 313 OR $2018
THIS IS CHARLES WEYMAN JONES IN ROMA, REPORTING FOR RESONATE REGIONAL RADIO
Red meat industry players respond to US Tariff.
Red meat bodies have come out to express disappointment with Mr Trump’s tariffs, but underline that the industry would be working to find a way forward.
MLA managing director Michael Crowley said that MLA and the industry had already been working on this issue throughout 2025 with the formation of an industry taskforce and collaboration and communication with the Australian government.
Mr Crowley says US tariffs will impact the prices paid by American families and may have flow on impacts on the supply chain.
He said its unlikely these changes will make a difference to retail prices here in Australia.
MLA pointed out that Australia continues to respond to strong demand for high-quality red meat globally, exporting record amounts in 2024 to over 100 countries.
The US was Australia’s largest red meat export market in 2024, worth A$6.07B, and accounted for almost one third of Australia’s total global exports.
Mr Crowley says despite the imposition today of 10 per cent tariff, the US will continue to buy Australian red meat to supplement their requirement for high quality protein.
Unrelenting rain smashes records as floodwaters rise across multiple states
This week there were flooding alerts spanning 3000km across Australia, from the WA interior to the nation’s east coast.
The devastating weather system which has flooded massive areas of western Queensland and northern NSW headed across the Tasman Sea towards New Zealand.
Farmers are still counting the cost of the floods which have already ruined livelihoods and wrecked much infrastructure like roads, bridges and fencing.
More than 100,000 livestock have already been reported dead or missing amid the floods that have devastated producers across western Queensland.
Branding on quality: What needs to change in the Australian lamb industry
Separating lamb based on its quality should be a key focus for the industry, with Australia in a prime position to capitalise on a premium market, according to University of New England meat scientist Dr Peter McGilchrist.
Speaking at the recent Bowan Park data presentation day held at Gundagai he said what annoys him most about the Australian sheep industry – we pack all lamb into one box and we just call it lamb and we’re happy with that,”
Dr McGilchrist says “I think we need to transition away from just getting commodity lamb and move towards at least segregation between good, better and best and the hot carcase weight producers were paid on was not a good indicator of eating quality.
From Wagga Wagga in the south to Warialda in the north, young auctioneers right across the state have been priming their skills in a bid to secure the title of 2025 Australian Livestock and Property Agents Association NSW Young Auctioneer.
They include.
Darcy Brennan, Lehman Stock and Property, Inverell
A first-time competitor in the state finals, Darcy, 21, is an Inverell lad through and through.
He got a taste of the agency game early when he took a part-time job helping pen up cattle before the Inverell sales.
He says, “From there, I was offered a full-time position, and I haven’t looked back,”
Darcy has been working as an agent for two years and took up auctioneering about 18 months ago.
Will McLachlan, Elders Wagga Wagga
Will grew up on a cattle and sheep property near Inverell but has made his mark in the Riverina working as an agent for the past four years.
He said he always wanted to work with livestock, and being an agent gave the 22-year-old the best opportunity to do that.
Will says he remembers when he was younger going to the local sales with his grandfather, then seeing the agents going about their business and up on the catwalk selling.
Luke Richards, JA McGregor Livestock and Property, Warialda
Luke loves the variety that comes with being an agent.
He says he could never handle sitting behind a desk all the time.
He says he likes to get out, and whether that means drafting cattle for slaughter with one client, penning up lambs for the sheep sale or drafting weaners for a special sale, each day is different.”
Bye, bye blowflies: first result of groundbreaking sterile flies’ project.
The end of flystrike issues on Australian sheep farms could be within reach, with promising early results coming back from the release of 12 million sterile blowflies on South Australia’s Kangaroo Island late last year.
About 12 million sheep blowflies were released over a 12-week period starting in September, with more releases due over consecutive spring and summer periods, with the goal of eradicating blowflies on the island by the end of 2027.
Early results have backed up what researchers expected; that the releases would see the sterile flies well-established within the release areas, with a good survival rate.
Just add rain: up and away the market goes at Elders premium weaner sale
With soft rain falling across the New England and North West, prices for heifers kicked by 40 cents a kilogram at the Elders New England premium weaner and feeder sale with strong demand from grass and crop finishers and vigorous activity by feedlots.
Elders yarded 1551 steers priced from $500 to $1800, averaging $1382, while 1333 heifers ranged from $440 to $1420, averaging $1103.
Overall, 2887 head averaged $1254.
