Coronavirus has been an "unfortunate" tailwind driving online sales platform AuctionsPlus to gross record sales of $3.5 billion, last financial year, according to chief economist Tim McRae.
Its sales were up nearly 50 per cent on the previous financial year.
"Undoubtedly, one of the tailwinds for AuctionsPlus in the last two and a half years has been the movement and sale restrictions that came with the COVID-19 outbreak," Mr McRae said.
"We were able to help studs and producers sell their livestock, when there was some uncertainty."
While coronavirus was unfortunate, it also introduced a lot of people to using AuctionsPlus," he said.
Figures provided by AuctionsPlus show record user registrations saw sales jump by 49% on the previous financial year, when the value exceeded $2.35b.
Mr McRae said he thought buyers and sellers would stay with the online platform, even though pandemic movement restrictions had been lifted.
"Given the run of good seasons, the platform has given producers the ability and the flexibility to market their livestock, in conjunction with discussions with their agent, when it suits them."
"Producers don't have to sell their product, until they get the price they want
"Certainly for a lot of producers, in the last few years, it's been happy times."
- NSW continued to hold onto the top listing state for both sheep and cattle, while Tasmania registered the largest increase in listings across both species.
- AuctionsPlus offered 898,747 head of cattle and 4,677,638 sheep and lambs across the financial year.
- It held 439 stud sheep sales and 429 stud cattle sales - up 48pc and 18pc from last financial year respectively
Auction'sPlus financial year report said numerous records were broken, including for the number of cattle offered through the online platform.
That was driven by an overall wet year, with subsequent pasture growth sustaining confidence among cattle producers, despite cost of production pressures rising as the year progressed.
But in Victoria, listings were down by 12pc, and local local producers looked interstate to buy 45pc of all cattle they purchased.
AuctionsPlus steer and heifer listings increased year on-year, to high clearance rates.
Steer offerings increased 21pc but heifer numbers only went up by 4pc - demonstrating producer's continued intentions to hold onto potential breeders and rebuild herds, the report said.
Lighter heifer categories experienced the highest price increases from the previous year, with 200-280 kilogram heifer sales up 34pc, to average $1,588/head.
Pregnancy-tested-in-calf heifers dominated as the single largest category on AuctionsPlus for total throughput, with 114,947 head offered.
Listings of cows with calves at foot were static year-on-year, with 52,368 head offered - but with significant premiums and clearance rate differences between joined and unjoined categories.
When it came to sheep and lambs, southwest Victoria retained the mantle of Australia's largest listing region.
The 683,118 head of sheep and lambs offered was a 5pc increase on the previous financial year.
The top four buying regions for the financial year remained unchanged on last year, with NSW and Victorian producers looking to again secure quality stock on the back of favourable seasonal conditions.
"There is a huge influx of Merino lambs in October-November, that's what really drives that," Mr McRae said.
"When that western area gets going we can have 130-140,000 head in a weekly sale - there are a lot of good quality sheep and lambs and they come thick and fast."
Mr McRae said most of the Victorian sheep and lambs "flooded into NSW" for further finishing.
Central West NSW topped the buying regions securing 700,030 head, up 7pc, year-on-year.
NSW offered 2.2 million sheep for the financial year, accounting for 47pc of total listings.
Strong prices and seasonal conditions underpinned the 14pc annual increase - with the easing focus on flock rebuilding, after two intense years, also assisting with higher numbers.
Crossbred lambs recorded the largest offering for the year, with 1,032,850 head offered.
Scanned-in-lamb shedding breed ewes registered one of the largest percentage increases, jumping 73pc year-on-year, to 49,306 head.
Mr McRae said he didn't think the online platform would have a major impact on saleyards' operations.
'Nothing beats that physical part of being at a sale - when you look at the saleyard system, people like to go and see and I think that will always be a part of agriculture," he said.
Mr McRae said a future focus would be on non-livestock commodities after property sales jumped 139pc and machinery and clearing sales jumped by 63pc.
"If people are comfortable in buying livestock online, they are very comfortable buying machinery and property." he said.
Andrew Miller
I'm a general reporter with Stock & Land, with a special interest in irrigation issues. I completed my cadetship, with the Age, in 1980. Over my career, I've worked for ABC radio news (Mt Isa, Qld) and at provincial and suburban newspapers.
I'm a general reporter with Stock & Land, with a special interest in irrigation issues. I completed my cadetship, with the Age, in 1980. Over my career, I've worked for ABC radio news (Mt Isa, Qld) and at provincial and suburban newspapers.
