Riverina sheep exodus

The reason for my journey was firstly to attend the Hay, NSW, spring cattle sale and thereafter to seek on-property information for a special preview of the Hay Merino Breeders' sale on Friday September 18 (see next week's Stock & Land).

My travel took me as far north into NSW as Mossgiel and Ivanhoe, while for my return trip I deviated via Moulamein, NSW, to attend the Wycheproof sheep sale.

Along the way it became highly evident that much of northern Victoria and most parts of the Riverina were in urgent need of rain.

Little did I realise just how grave this need for a decent rain was until I crossed back into the eastern Mallee to find crops dying from moisture stress.

The worst-affected area I saw was west of the Avoca River, but they say this dry patch extends west beyond Birchip and north from Charlton to Ouyen.

That's not to say other areas outside this zone aren't looking for rain - it's perhaps just not as visible from the comforts of a car.

The weekend's average fall of 10 millimetres or so must have been crucial for most croppers.

But, back to my Riverina travels.

After departing Deniliquin and before reaching Booroorban on Wednesday - a distance of some 80km - I recall passing no fewer than six B-double livestock trucks and a four-decker laden with lambs heading south, with some possibly destined for slaughter but most presumably because of the season headed for greener pastures.

The word from the station country is that entire drops of wether lambs are being lifted as soon as they are mustered.

Few producers are said to be taking the risk on retaining any surplus stock, which was placing enormous pressure on the remainder of the industry to handle these numbers spilling out of the back country, hence the recent weakening of the lamb market.

And yet speaking with the various station owners around the vast area north of Hay, I realised most were already conservatively stocked, which meant plans were well laid to preserve their country and protect their breeding flocks.

Most also said that despite their properties being understocked, the recent good turn of prices generated from surplus lamb, mutton and breeder sales saw many financially well placed while their country held up following the below-average dry spell of the past 12 months.

The feeling I got from the breeders was that they expected there would be one large sell-off at Hay in September, with little to follow in October and November.

Meanwhile, the Hay spring cattle sale also threw up a few surprises as it generated an unexpected level of buying power.

A good percentage of the cattle from the sale were trucked north to Coonamble and Barraba, NSW, following the recent rain while southbound cattle went mainly to the South East of South Australia, Shepparton and Euroa.

SA's Thomas Foods International, West Wimmera Beef, the Ogilvie Group and Hardwick's Kyneton all purchased cattle to background and eventually feed, with huge interest still being shown in heifers, which saw few taken for breeding.

Maybe the large processors/feeders are also hedging their bets that quality slaughter cattle may remain scarce well into next year given the current prospects of the season.