ROBERT Woodward, owner of Garrison Feedlot, Murray Downs, and Swan Hill Abattoirs, has been an active player at recent markets, utilising the changed weather pattern to hibernate cattle for the winter.
At the Yea store cattle sale on Friday, June 14, Mr Woodward gathered some 725 head from a yarding of
1200, while on the same day he engaged legendary cattle agent Jim Mathews of Landmark to secure a further 400 head from an 800-head yarding at Bairnsdale.
Mr Woodward’s haul at Yea in particular was impressive as he purchased all but a handful of pens in the market’s steer run, collecting all weights, ages and colours to pay from $200/hd to the market top of $785/hd.
In the heifer run, although he was challenged by some restocker interest and a backgrounding order for Charlton feedlot, he was again the dominant buyer, purchasing tail-end weaners to rising two-year-old grown heifers that he could feedlot or process and background on his western NSW station country.
Despite his lacklustre opposition, Mr Woodward was fair in his price allocation, bidding rates that were near equal for the better quality and forward-in-condition pens, while for plain quality lots he paid accordingly and at times unopposed.
Showing his appreciation for the soft-floored facilities at both Yea and Bairnsdale, Mr Woodward told Stock & Land his company preferred to avoid purchasing
stock from hard-floored saleyards as they caused damage, pain and suffering to stock that passed through them.
There is no doubt a clear message in that statement.