Panshanger Estate Angus cows hit $3700 as Victorians look to Tassie

Nutrien Benalla livestock salesman Dale Boyd said supplies of heifers and young cows had become hard to source on the mainland in recent weeks and had turned his focus to a handful of sales in Tasmania.

Mr Boyd was among three volume buyers at the Panshanger Estate annual online Angus cow sale last week.

"You just can't find young cows here on the mainland because of the herd rebuild," he said.

"You're only being offered matured-aged cows and there's a heck of a lot of seven to 10-year-old cows for that calving period of winter and early spring."

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The Tasmanian sale featured 144 three and four-year-old pregnancy-tested-in-calf cows featuring exclusively Lawson blood to calve in July and August this year.

The cows averaged $3699 and sold to a top price of $3770.

Ninety-nine of the lots offered via the AuctionsPlus sale were bought by agents on the mainland, while just 45 cows, including the two top-priced lots, were bought by Tasmanian buyers.

Mr Boyd said it had become increasingly difficult to source future breeders in Victoria in the last month.

"The vendor in Tasmania is offering a $40 rebate to buyers on the mainland so he pays the first $40 of the cost," Mr Boyd, who bought the cattle on behalf of a return client in Victoria, said.

"The best part of $50-$60 is covered by the vendor and the Tasmanian government through its livestock rebate scheme, and to get the cattle to Benalla it would cost about $120 a head.

"It certainly helps convince prospective buyers that purchasing cattle from Tasmania is cost effective."

Tasmanian livestock agent Ian Richards, Richards Livestock, said support among cattle buyers on the mainland had grown in recent years.

"It just shows you how hard it is to get good cows on the mainland," he said.

"We've noticed it because we have an online sale in Tasmania every Friday consisting of 500-1000 cows, but a large percentage of cattle, perhaps 50-60pc, is being bought by interstate buyers."

Other mainland volume buyers at the sale included Daniel Fischer, Nutrien Ag Solutions, Wangaratta, and Luke Scicluna, Davidson Cameron & Co, Gunnedah, NSW, who bought cattle on behalf of a Tasmanian client.

Panshanger Estate owner George Mills, who runs the joint operation with his son, Nicholas, said buyers from the east coast of Australia were among some of his most active clients.

"In some years more cattle have gone to the mainland and the fact three quarters was bought by clients on the mainland is not that unusual," Mr Mills said.

"It's been the case for many years that buyers from the mainland have looked to Tasmania as a source of cattle."

The two top-priced lots at the sale were bought by Tasmanian restockers.

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