During the past two weeks, I have been privileged to see more than 25,600 weaner steers and heifers sold in the north east of Victoria.
The fantastic spring and summer aided much better conformation, condition and weight into the cattle, and coupled with the much stronger demand, producers will receive much bigger cheques this year.
While I have seen and reported on most of the north eastern sales, I missed the Elders sale on Friday, which would have added another 3500 head to my tally.
With steers averaging just short of $1300 and heifers around $1190, the total amount returning to the rural sector was close to $31 million.
This will be great for all aspects of rural farming and businesses.
Having been in the industry for more than 40 years, I have seen different breeds come and go.
These days the Angus breed is dominant and attracts a lot attention from processors, feedlots, breeders and fatteners.
However, the 2017 weaner sales showed little difference between the breeds with one man’s choice another’s poison.
Let’s go back just a few years and note the popularity of the Charolais breed.
Demand for Charolais cattle lifted due the lean fat cover, and the high quality breeding, which suited feedlots and processors alike.
Harold Seeley is considered to be one of the pioneers of the Charolais breed, first bringing Charolais females from Great Britain into Australia in the late ’60s and early ’70s, via New Zealand.
Harold started his first Charolais stud, Woodlands, back then, which later became Ashwood Park. Introducing a new breed into Australia back then was not easy, as the more traditionalists had a firm grip on the industry.
Sadly, Harold is not in good health, and as he struggled to cope, he dispersed Ashwood Park two years ago.
However, the Ashwood Park name is still credited on many pen cards across the north east of Victoria.
Harold showed his cattle at all major Royals in southern Australia very successfully, and entered carcase competitions with both grass, and grain-fed Charolais and Charolais cross steers.
Harold holds the record at the Royal Melbourne Show for 13 Grand Champion carcase awards.
Despite Charolais cattle simmering over the past few years, they still stand out in any saleyard, and remain the favourite of many grain feeders across the eastern seaboard.
Harold had a love of technology and was a pioneer in embryo transfer, having his own centre at Flowerdale.
Personally, I don’t remember Harold from those early days, as I worked more to the east of Melbourne, and was involved with John Betheras, who did embryo transfers at Labertouche.
Some of the rivalry between breeders back then created the excellence of breeding that we see in the Charolais breed of today.
Every picture tells a story, and the photo above shows the continued of the breed, not only in the Yea district, but in the many lines of Charolais and their crosses at this year’s weaner sales all over Victoria.
Thanks to Duncan Newcomen, Harold’s manager for 32 years, who said, “I make these comments with no bias to any other breed, as I’m sure all breeds have a similar mentor.”
