Depending on your perspective - whether you’re a diesel burner or a dog whistler – this year’s near perfect start to Autumn is causing headaches.
This was obvious whilst travelling to two store cattle sales this past week – at Kyneton and Warrnambool.
Supply at both centres was back considerably on their month earlier markets. The Kyneton yarding was trimmed from 650 to 450 head (not big really), however, not many were local cattle as a good few were bused in from further afield to make up the numbers. Warrnambool numbers however fell more sharply, from 2600 to 1600 head, and included a sizable run of dairy-infused steers and bull calves, again masking the cutback as these breeds are not normally presented at these monthly store markets.
What was blatantly obvious was the turnabout in their respective seasons which have been transformed from boiled lollies to chocolates, within the space of the month.
In my March video report, of the Kyneton sale Landmark agent, John Robson stated quite earnestly that if rain wasn’t forthcoming immediately it would become too cold for his district to grow a wedge of feed for the winter.
Dean Coxon, Elders this month has spoken glowingly of falls for April of 100-150mm, and local restockers now finding it difficult to source cattle, because of the numbers, because of the price, with paddock feed stock now growing rapidly.
Heading south towards Warrnambool on Friday, I was amazed to find the huge volume of water laying on and running through cropping ground in Rokewood, Cressy, Berrybank and Darlington areas. It was quite confronting, in fact, as this amount of water this early in the season may led to longer term difficulties for stockmen and croppers deeper in the winter.
However for the time-being for those burning diesel – on spray rigs and fertilizer carts – a man’s best friend is an escalator and a long strong chain parked in the corner of each and every paddock.
A quick glance at the four month- 2017 saleyard and slaughter comparisons also confirms the headaches being experienced by the processing industry.
The average weekly saleyard lamb supply for Victorian markets, at 57,927 head, is 27 per cent higher than 2016 and equal to 2015. While the average Victorian weekly lamb slaughter, at 168,710, is up one pent on 2016 but down 6.8pc on 2015.
On an Eastern states basis weekly saleyard lamb numbers are up 10pc on 2016 and 12pc on 2015 but down 7pc and 6.8pc on slaughter.
For cattle, Victorian saleyard numbers are down 20pc and 40pc respectively while slaughter is back 30pc and 40pc year-on-year. Nationally, the four months to April cattle kill is back 14pc and 30pc respectively.