Inverell Cattle Sale Tuesday 7th January
700 head of cattle yarded for the first sale of the year, consisting mainly of yearlings, the light weights suitable for re-stockers and backgrounders, while there were several runs of well-bred and well finished cattle suitable for the feeder buyers.
The market was strong with buyers keen to acquire cattle.
Re-stocker weaner steers reached a top of 448c, while re-stocker weaner heifers sold to 350c/kg.
Most of the light re stocker and background yearling steers sold from 322c to 422c, and feeders steers sold from 372c to 414c/kg.
Feeder heifers ranged from 326c to 380c/kg.
The yarding of export cattle consisted of a smaller penning of cattle, however the market was strong with grown steers selling from 311c to 336c to process and feeders reached a top price of 384c/kg.
Grown heifers sold to 340c/kg. 3 and 4 score cows sold from 260c to 295c/kg.
Heavy bulls sold to 290c/kg.
Inverell Sheep Sale Tuesday 7th January.
There was a good yarding of 3,015 sheep, which included 2,060 lambs.
There was also a good supply of Dorper lambs and mutton.
Quality was good with a large percentage of lambs being trade weights and heavy lambs, there was also a few pens of light re-stocker lambs offered.
All the regular buyers were present and operating in a strong market.
Trade lambs sold from $112 to $196 while heavy lambs ranged from $192 to $250/head.
Extra heavy lambs reached a top price of $275/head.
Trade Dorper lambs sold from $146 to $189 and heavy Dorper lambs sold from $166 to $240/head.
There were a few pens of hoggets, selling to a top of $165/head.
The good quality yarding of mutton sold on a solid market with 3 score ewes selling to $166 and wethers topped at $180/head.
Report compiled by Doug Robson.
The First Cattle Sale in Roma for 2025 will be Tuesday 14th January.
Stock theft rates are at their lowest in 20 years, but there’s more to the story
Analysis by the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research has uncovered a 33.5 per cent drop in the rates of stock theft across the state.
Despite numbers being at the lowest in two decades, researchers have warned of a “massive dark figure of crime,” going unreported on farms.
“When we ask farmers directly, there’s a significant amount of victimisation,” Dr Kyle Mulrooney, Codirector at the University of New England’s Centre for Rural Criminology, said.
“Then we ask them specifically about whether they report or not, and we see really low reporting rates.”
Dr Mulrooney said he was surprised to see a drop in the number of livestock thefts reported, following in-depth consultation with landholders in NSW and across the country.
Misguided policies’ hit regions the hardest. Perin Davies
This year, we need a government focusing on reducing inflationary pressures, increasing productivity and restoring opportunity.
More than a year on from the Voice Referendum, which diverted time from critical issues, one would have hoped the Labor government would have learnt, yet it’s continuously failed to address key issues.
The Albanese government has allowed ideological pursuits to overshadow urgently needed practical solutions.
Rising living costs, growing challenges in regional areas, and falling productivity all reflect a disconnect from the realities many Australians face. Despite their election promise of a government committed to transparency and accountability.
Labor has been a government of non-disclosure agreements and lack of parliamentary scrutiny, with more than 70 per cent of bills passed in the past year guillotined from debate.
Regional areas have borne the brunt of Labor’s misguided policies. From banning live sheep exports to blocking the McPhillamy’s gold mine, these decisions cost millions in economic value and jobs.
Nicki Gutler continues to etch her name in the shearing history books
Nicki Gutler continues to make a name for herself in shearing breaking yet another record.
A month after Nikki Lyons set the women’s eight-hour merino shearing world record for shearing 395 lambs at Yass, Ms Gutler smashed it out of the park.
The Lockhart shearer etched her name into the history books shearing 450 lambs at Parkdale, Dubbo on December 21.
Her tun rallies were: 116, 112, 112, and 110.
Northern buyers help boost Wodonga market ‘beyond expectations’ | January 7
Weaned cattle attracted a premium on Tuesday during the second day of weaner sales at Wodonga.
A total of 3841 cattle were yarded at the Northern Victoria Livestock Exchange where true weaner steers sold to a top of $1820 a head, while the weaner heifer portion reached $1575.
Elders livestock agent Oliver Mason, Albury, said the market kicked off about $100-$150 dearer than anticipated, with the feature lines attracting premium prices.
Mr Mason said the market exceeded their expectations generated from the end of December, thanks to strong support from northern buyers.
He said properly weaned cattle attracted a premium of about 25-40 cents a kilogram.
Weaner steers weighing less than 280kg sold for $680-$1335 and weaner steers weighing 280-330kg made $700-$1425.
Weaner heifers weighing less than 280kg sold for $470-$980 and weaner heifers weighing 280-330kg made $890-$1340.
Nicki Gutler continues to etch her name in the shearing history books
Nicki Gutler continues to make a name for herself in shearing breaking yet another record.
A month after Nikki Lyons set the women’s eight-hour merino shearing world record for shearing 395 lambs at Yass, Ms Gutler smashed it out of the park.
The Lockhart shearer etched her name into the history books shearing 450 lambs at Parkdale, Dubbo on December 21.
Her tun rallies were: 116, 112, 112, and 110.
Armidale district Dohne Merino flock’s role in methane reduction trial
A self-replacing flock of Dohne merinos is playing a key role in a groundbreaking two-year study led by researchers at the University of New England (UNE).
The study analyses a seaweed-based feed additive with the potential to reduce methane emissions by more than 50 per cent.
Brian Shaw, Saumarez Ponds, near Armidale, runs 1000 Dohne Merino ewes, which produce about 130 per cent lambs from which he keeps 300 hoggets for flock replacements. The remaining ewes are joined to Poll Dorsets for prime lamb production.
The UNE approached Mr Shaw to feed a supplement of an all-purpose pellet enriched with Asparagopsis oil, a seaweed extract known for its methane-reducing properties produced by Sea Forest, Triabunna, Tasmania.
The study is focused on evaluating how a seaweed additive affects not only methane emissions but also production performance such as growth, fertility, fleece weight, and overall health of the Merino ewes involved.
