The rise of Queensland’s central west as a high-volume cattle selling region has been reflected in the National Livestock Reporting Service’s 2011-12 Queensland Saleyard Summary released last week.
Roma overcame a string of cancelled sales due to wet weather and flooding in February and March to retain the position of the state’s largest selling centre, with throughput of 312,574 cattle last financial year (down slightly from 314,760 the previous year).
It was followed by Dalby which yarded 214,358 head in 2011-12, a significant increase from the 186,810 it handled in 2010-11.
Cattle volumes in most centres were down on last year, with wet weather causing considerable disruptions to supply during the summer months.
A run of good seasons and a drive by livestock agents and local councils in the Central West to improve facilities and increase sale regularity has seen Blackall jump from fifth to third place in volume rankings (153,393 head), while Longreach was the state’s largest selling centre for prime cattle in 2011-12 with 124,651 yarded.
Jack Burgess from Grant Daniel Long in Blackall told Beef Central that the significant volume of quality cattle in the region was attracting strong competition from buyers to local sales, which in turn was attracting other cattle from wider areas, such as Hughenden, Cloncurry, north of Winton and Alice Springs.
“With the good quality in the local area, it has drawn cattle from a bit further afield, they’re driving past other sales to get here because the market has been a bit better,” Mr Burgess said.
“We’re also getting cattle from Tambo which is south of Blackall.
“People don’t usually like going backwards much, but people from Tambo and Augathella have been trucking their cattle back to Blackall instead of going south, which just reflects on the the way this market has been holding on, and the good buying support that we have been having.”
Blackall holds weekly fat and store sales every Thursday and a special weaner and store sale once a month.
However agents have had to increase the number of weaner sales to two in the past two weeks to accommodate the large numbers coming through, with 5000 yarded two weeks ago and another 3000 last week.
Blackall’s numbers were also boosted by the large volume of transit cattle that come through the yards. Blackall is a convenient half-way point for use as a spelling facility for cattle being trucked from further north to feedlots, finishing properties and meatworks in South East Queensland, which is an 8-10 hour drive away.
Mr Burgess said large numbers of cattle were also sold off-scale in Blackall to private buyers while in transit.
From a seasonal perspective, he said that while producers in the Central West were waiting for spring rain, there was still good subsoil moisture retained from the wet summer and a substantial green pick already coming through under the dry grass.
“If we get an inch of rain we will start cattle fattening cattle again, cattle are already starting to do already without a shower of rain,” he said.
Conducted annually, the report includes data from 31 selling centres across Queensland and is collected by MLA’s NLRS on behalf of the Australian Livestock Markets Association (ALMA).
Charters Towers maintained its fourth place ranking, with 126,168 head.
Longreach moved up a position from sixth to fifth, reporting a total yarding of 124,651 head for 2011-12, of which 11,016 head were transit consignments.
Gracemere (near Rockhampton) moved from eight in 2010-11, to the sixth largest selling centre for 2011-12, with total offerings reaching 114,899 head.
It is important to note that this year’s data does not contain figures from Cloncurry which have not been passed onto the NLRS yet. Cloncurry, which has large numbers of transit cattle, handled 198,706 cattle in 2010-11 to be ranked second in overall throughput for that financial year.
One change to the format for the 2011-12 survey was the separation of transit cattle into a stand-alone category.
The NLRS said the top six saleyards by total throughput for 2011-12 remained similar to recent years.
Position 2011-12 | Saleyard | Prime | Store | Transit | Total | 2010-11 volume |
1 | Roma | 66,955 | 245,619 | – | 312,574 | 314,760 |
2 | Dalby | 111,346 | 103,012 | – | 214,358 | 186,810 |
3 | Blackall | 29,524 | 80,246 | 42,623 | 153,393 | 161,902 |
4 | Charters Towers | 36,038 | 79,114 | 11,016 | 126,168 | 164,035 |
5 | Longreach | 124,651 | – | – | 124,651 | 130,970 |
6 | Gracemere | 111,270 | 3,629 | – | 114,899 | 98,736 |
Source: MLA National Livestock Reporting Service
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