Local focus this weaner season

The fact is that no matter how much rain falls between now and the start of the selling season proper on January 2, there will be insufficient time to allow even the best-placed parts of northern NSW and Queensland to adequately recover.

But that isn't to say another "white knight" may not be lurking, and at Naracoorte's (SA) Christmas calf sale on December 6, that assistance came in the form of Western Australia-based live export company Livestock Shipping Services (LSS), which swooped on 800 Angus steers from a 4500-strong market to supply an order reportedly destined for Russia.

While details of this shipment remain foggy at best, this performance – along with 330 Angus steers bought for Molong, NSW – resulted in a healthy trading range of 190-195 cents a kilogram liveweight for steers weighing 320-330kg at Naracoorte.

Agent sources at the SA market declared competition on the day as being very strong but said prices were no higher than at previous sales conducted in the SA region.

Local buyers for the Millicent and Penola area underpinned demand with positive support, while SA exporter and lotfeeder Thomas Foods International (TFI) lapped up a good portion of the EU-accredited cattle.

From these scant details it would appear that the overall success of this year's weaner sales will hinge heavily on the participation of major feeder and backgrounder interests to support the market's top end.

While lighter weight stock missing these specifications will need to be absorbed locally by the southern grass finishers, who thankfully have the feed resources at hand this year to do the job.

At last count some 82,000 head of beef-breed weaners and young breeding stock were set to test the market in the 32 specially convened sales at nine different locations during January.

And due to the mid-week fall of the New Year's Public holiday, selling will commence at Wodonga on Thursday, January 2, where 4000 Angus steers become first cab off the rank.

This sale will be immediately followed on Friday, January 3, by another 3000-head yarding of Hereford, black baldy and Euro-cross heifers and steers at Wodonga.

Over in the Western District, there will be no fewer than 13 sales organised at Hamilton and Casterton over a two-week period.

The Hamilton/Casterton series has organised some 20,000 beef weaners for the two-week sales period, while at Wodonga some 17,000 weaners and 5500 beef females have been nominated over this same time.

Annual weaner sales will also be held at Yea, Euroa and Kyneton in the lower North East during the first fortnight of January.

Colac and Warrnambool in the South West will take their turn at selling during this second hectic week, while markets at Naracoorte and Mt Gambier in SA will continue and add to the tally.