Wet end to annual holiday

As reported by my colleague Don Story, last week in the final leg of my holiday, we traversed the central slopes of NSW to Dubbo, then south to Jerilderie, west via Conargo, Deniliquin and Kerang and final back to Ballarat.

To see the country so wet – top to bottom – was a sight for sore eyes.

Swift flowing creeks, over-flowing dams and miles upon miles of roadside verges full of moving water featured prominently over this two-day 1200 km journey.

For the croppers some of the best crops of canola and cereals sighted were to be found in the Parkes//Forbes and Ardlethan to Narrandera regions in NSW, although most looked exceptionally well the entire distance.

The wettest areas appeared to be surrounding Dubbo, around Deniliquin, N SW, and at Ascot just north of Ballarat.

The latest rain has resulted in the prime lamb market racing to toward $6 a kilogram while the cattle market continues to chug along.

The calendar is also fast approaching the end of August and spring is due to start officially within a fortnight.

Bearing these factors in mind and the potential for a huge and much higher priced grain harvest for this year, I made a few telephone calls to catch on conditions in other areas.

The northwest’s Cameron McKay of BR&C Agencies, Ouyen says a good number of the area’s young lamb crop, although checked early, has the potential to finish before the locusts begin to swarm again.

He says a lack of warm weather and sunshine to date has hindered the early development of young lambs although Ouyen this Thursday will offer 4000 to 5000 young lambs up from 900 a fortnight ago.

Mr McKay said rainfall of 15 to 25 millimetres across the region over the past week could hold a few numbers back but generally speaking another two to three weeks should see the bulk of the autumn-drop young lambs readied.

Graeme Miller of Elders Bendigo reports crops in central districts approaching September are as good as any for the past 10 to 15 years.

There is some winter pasture growth he says with most of the country wet, with some areas water-logged.

“It has also been very cold and as a result most young lambs are lacking the warmth and sunshine needed to mature and finish,” he said.

That said, Bendigo has sold young lambs for about a month now and there are more drafts of smaller grown suckers beginning to enter the market from the western pastoral areas of the Riverina.

These store suckers are making $85-$94 Mr Miller said, while the best and heaviest young lambs topped at $164 this week, compared to $148 last week.

On producer selling intentions, Mr Miller said it would be question that won’t be answered for at least a month or more.

Richard Harvie, PPHS, Naracoorte, says South Australia’s southeast season has been text book and is running two to three weeks ahead of normal.

The northern suckers from the Keith and Bordertown, SA, area are on the move he says with these offering good quality and plenty of weight.

On the cattle scene, Mr Harvie says Naracoorte’s prime cattle sales will split as of this week with export cows and bulls to be sold weekly on Fridays. Young cattle and the grown steers will continue as normal each Tuesday.

This follows combined weekly cattle yardings of up to 2600 head. South east cattle are also moving early Mr Harvie said and the feeling is that once the wet dries, the cattle market will correct.

NLRS Wagga Wagga, NSW, and Wodonga market analyst Leann Dax say cattle numbers at the two centres had slowed considerably for the season with cow numbers in particular, quite low.

Weaner and feeder demand she said has quickened pace with plenty of young steers making now beyond 220c/kg lwt.

The $200 pen of old lambs sold at Wagga Wagga last week she said were huge with estimates exceeding 40kg carcase weight made on the line of 186.

Gippsland NLRS reporter Peter Kostos says cattle numbers are slow at all Gippsland markets, with yearling trade heifers currently in best supply with most now realising 180-195c/kg lwt.

The top of the market as also improved with good numbers of fed cattle making 220- 230c/kg lwt.