A Central Queensland cattleman paid a $20,000 national breed record price for Seifert Belmonts SEI170155 at the annual Belmont Red sale at Jandowae on Tuesday.
THE early stages of the 2018 spring bull selling season have proven to be incredibly patchy, with some sales recording high clearance rates and reasonably strong average prices, while others have suffered serious setbacks compared with last year.
Drought is obviously having an overarching impact in some regions, limiting demand for bulls and curbing buyer confidence in some cases. The softening in cattle prices year on year has also exerted an influence.
Hot and cold results have been the order of the day, in early ‘spring’ sales across NSW, Queensland and Victoria (click here to view summaries of recently-completed bull sales). Within the spectrum have been absolute bright spots, however.
Two Belmont Red breeders notched up a solid result for their 2018 sale near Jandowae on Queensland’s Darling Downs on Tuesday.
The Belmont Red sale held by Seifert and Wahroonga studs sold 45 of 46 bulls offered, averaging $8189 and selling to a new national breed record top of $20,000. The new record-setter, Seifert Belmonts SEI170155 went to Central Queensland commercial cattleman Richard Bethel, Willunga Grazing, Nebo.
The sale featured strong support from large-scale Central and North Queensland commercial operators – many from areas where seasonal conditions are perhaps better than other parts of Eastern Australia. Volume buyers chasing an injection of Taurus meat quality into indicus-based herds was a feature. Included was Consolidated Pastoral Co, which took 16 herd bulls averaging about $6500.
“There was strong bidding competition throughout, both online and on-property,” marketing agent Harvey Weyman-Jones from GDL said. “It was an excellent result, under the dry conditions.”
Further north in Central Queensland, Brett Nobbs’ NCC Brahman female sale held in conjunction with Ooline Brahmans also had an excellent result on Saturday, despite the dry conditions, selling 66 of 67 registered females for an average of almost $6200 and top price of $28,000.
Across the border, Merawah Herefords recorded a solid result for its annual bull sale near Boggabilla, in northern NSW on Tuesday, with a total clearance of 52 bulls averaging $9000 – a rise of about $120 on average from last year.
A string of earlier sales in July (click here to access full sales results summaries) did not fare so well, however, with clearance rate percentages from the high 40s to low 60s, and average prices often in the mid $5000’s range – well below last year’s results in many cases.
Recent bull sales in the New England region north from Tamworth – particularly hard-hit by current drought conditions – have been impacted most.
As a general rule, well established studs with strong client followings have so far fared better this year than others still establishing a position in the seedstock industry.
- Click here to see a comprehensive, updated list of Australian beef breed record prices for bulls and females.
The outstanding results obtained at the Belmont sale is a testament to the value of persisting rigorously with Breeding Programmes based on scientific principles. The Belmont is the only Breed who’s Standards of Excellence is solely based on Objective Selection Criteria, and not on the traditional Subjective Criteria.
Jeanne and Ian are to be congratulated on their achievement in demonstrating the outstanding qualities of this unique breed. It is pleasing to see Jeanne and Ian rewarded for their efforts. Hopefully the results for the Belmont Breed is a sign that the Beef Cattle Industry is finally ready to adopt Scientific Cattle Breeding!