AGENTS are preparing for a "phenomenal" influx of stock to hit the market as farmers in the Western District offload numbers to battle with decade-low rainfall.
Along with the State's north, the west has suffered a severe lack of rain over the past three months, according to the Bureau of Meteorology, with little recorded since June.
Producers in the region between Ballarat and Hamilton are suffering a tough season resulting in livestock selling centres being overloaded with cattle and sheep.
"It is amazing how this season has collapsed in the past fortnight," KP Lanyon livestock manager, Warren Clark, Hamilton, said.
"We are running four to six weeks ahead of usual market schedule, with indications we will have close to 40,000 sheep and lambs here this week – that is a December yarding, not November.
"This time last year we were yarding 20,000."
Hamilton stock agents have already decided to stage their traditional split summer sales earlier due to the dry conditions.
This week they met to discuss the option of holding a "one-off" weaner cattle sale before the selling centre's traditional weaner auctions in the first two weeks of January in response to the failed season.
But agents decided against the idea because they believed there would be better inquiry in January.
"We are going to be like the north – there is no green feed and producers can't hold numbers," Mr Clark said.
"There are only two areas in the State that are any good – Gippsland and the North East – but there are a lot of calves that need to be sold in the next month."
Mr Clark said the wave of producers offloading stock had caused numbers to doubles at recent sales.
"We have 10 lamb sales between now and Christmas," he said.
"Some sales might see 60,000 lambs here because we have to (reduce stocking numbers).
"Last year we went right into January with numbers because of the good season – what a backflip."
Mr Clark said there were already reports of feed costs spiking, but supplementary-feeding stock to feedlot-targeted weights was an option that could pay dividends.
"Feed is going through the roof and forecast to be awfully expensive but, in saying that, you will get paid for it but you first need to buy it – that's the worry for people," he said.
While Mr Clark said oversupply may dampen demand, the season would provide an opportunity to increase stock numbers where possible or feed lambs.
"(Lamb) contracts are out at 520-530 cents per kilogram for December and January deliveries and looking to increase," he said.
"You will get your money back with interest."
Colac Stock Agents Association president Carl Fish said his region was also grappling with summer conditions which had resulted in a 100pc increase at recent prime cattle markets.
"If we get a 30°C day on Thursday that will push people to sell," Mr Fish said.
"We haven't had a huge increase as far as numbers go but the market has shifted with the summer conditions so we will see a lot more supply up until Christmas."
Despite the early markets, Korumburra livestock agent Rohan McRae said demand for quality cattle was matching supply.
"I'm not sure what the market will do," Mr McRae said.
"On one side processors are talking up that they won't be able to find the cattle they want so we are thinking the better cattle could get dearer, but between now and Christmas I don't see fat cattle changing much.
"The processors hold the value.
"They're the ones who have cattle coming at them so they don't have to drive the market."
The Western District's early stock offload comes as the Victorian Farmers Federation (VFF) called on the party that wins the Victorian Government election on November 29 to act immediately and deliver drought support to farmers in the State's north who are suffering a one-in-20-year rainfall deficiency.