A pricing correction in the commercial cattle market will have “some relevance” to the spring seedstock selling season, according to Elders stud stock specialist Andrew Meara, Toowoomba.
While Mr Meara expects domestic demand for quality bulls – which in 2021 and 2022 smashed benchmarks across the breed spectrum – to stay strong, prices may soften.
“Bull sales start earlier in the south (of the country), with ours around June/ July and the job down there has been good, which does tend to continue through to us,” Mr Meara said.
“I’d like to think prices will stay steady.
“Maybe, you know, there has been a correction commercially so it might affect the bull job. You would think it would have a little bit of relevance.
“The market has eased a little bit for commercial (cattle) and you’d think there would be a little bit of softening in stud stock sales as well.
“But I would like to think prices will be good across the board. Some breeds will out-average others but on a similar path to where they’ve been sitting over the past few years.”
Mr Meara said a stagnant export trade through 2022 had caused an “overall correction” through commercial markets, with cattle instead flowing down to the south and affecting market prices.
“The boats in the north are gaining momentum now so, I think, with the export trade kicking in, the northern boat job will take a lot of the cattle numbers.
“With the boat trade – the live export job – being more active this year so far, it takes a lot of pressure off the southern markets.
“I think we’ve seen the bottom of the commercial job and that it will only lift from now on.”
Aside from the Maranoa, which is “quite dry”, Mr Meara said a favourable season through southern Queensland is motivating producers to replace herd bulls and rebuild.
He said picky breeders were becoming more discerning about the genetics infused through their herds, preferring quality over quantity, to boost productivity through their breeding programs.
Meanwhile, hot on the heels of the successful BLING sale in April, stud stock representative Georgie Connor, GDL Rockhampton said she was optimistic about the impending seedstock selling season in September.
Held at Paradise Lagoons, the inaugural Brangus Ladies Invitational Notable Genetics sale achieved a top price of $32,500.
In all, 12 studs combined to sell all 25 lots for 100 per cent clearance and an average of $15,060, grossing $376,500 at the black-tie affair.
Ms Connor said the results from the evening were “overwhelming”.
“Good quality cattle will always sell, yes,“ she said.
“The theme over the past couple of years has been that people have been willing, I guess underpinned by that strong commercial sector, to spend good money on good genetics.
“And yes, commercial prices have checked themselves a little but they’re going to rise again. So, I can’t see that there won’t be a strong season through central Queensland in spring.”
