CHAROLAIS bulls sold to a top price of $7000 at the Mt William stud sale near Willaura today.
The top priced bull, two-year-old Mt William Glen, was sold by joint agents Elders and Landmark to Terry and Marilyn Dove of Gerangamete, who will use the Pinay son as an outcross in their Charolais herd.The agents sold 32 of the 53 bulls offered for an average of $3695.
At last year's sale 42 bulls averaged $4820 and sold to a top price of $15,000.
Mt William also sold 23 of 25 heifers offered for an average of $1400 and to a top price of $2500, paid by Alister and Caroline Nash of Weerite.
Elders stud stock auctioneer Ross Milne said the sale result reflected the state of the beef cattle market and bull buyers were being more selective.
Landmark auctioneer Andrew Sloan said beef producers were adjusting their bull purchases after taking a $200 hit on their weaner prices earlier this year.
Mt William co-principal Rob Abbott said the sale was a good opportunity for buyers to source premium genetics at an affordable price.
Earlier in the day at the Delamere Charolais bull sale, Tasmanian breeders Robert and Audrey Scott paid $5750 for the two-year-old Charolais bull, Delamere Goffy, a Lunaparc son. Joint agents Elders and J&J Kelly sold 21 of the 29 bulls offered for an average of $3416.
Pure Charolais weaner heifers sold to $600, young cows to $1225 and mixed age cows to $1050. Delamere last year sold bulls to a top of $5500 and an average of $3700.
Delamere co-principal Chas Armytage said it was a tough year for beef producers and there was too much uncertainty in cattle markets, federal politics and world economies.
But he said every stud breeders needed to focus on producing quality rather than quantity.
"There is no sense in producing a bull that might sell. You've got to produce bulls that have a great chance of selling."
