AN unbreakable spirit has bolstered Barcaldine cattle producer Andrew Rose after ongoing drought forced him to sell the remainder of his breeding herd last week.
Selling 250 purebred PTIC Limousin cows and heifers on behalf of Barry Rose family and associates at the Dalby sale, Mr Rose said he was just one of many who had been left with no other choice.
"It all depends on which management decisions you make - whether you hold on or let go," Mr Rose said.
The cattle returned an average of $1200/head, selling through GDL Dalby agents, who procured buyers from as far as Gippsland.
"We didn't really know what we were going to get but they were in very good condition and a lot of breeding had gone into them so it was certainly tough to see them go.
"We've held on to cattle before during previous droughts and gone on the stock route but we felt this time we were better off to sell.
Mr Rose has worked on the family property for the past 25 years and breeding Limousin cattle for stud and commercial sale for more than 30.
"My father first saw the Limousin cattle at Sydney Royal Show back in the late 1970s and liked the breed and he ended up bringing the genetics back into Queensland from down south.
"We started off crossing them with Brahmans and then went pure - they're a terrific carcase animal and the breed has been good to us."
Mr Rose said the durability of Limousin and their ability to put beef on and cross well had assured their sale within the southern markets.
"We often turn off steers for the commercial trade and some go to Dalby, Blackall and occasionally Roma.
"We always get a sound price for the Limousin cattle in those markets and they're quite a sort after breed in the south and feedlotters like our cattle and we never have any problem placing them."
Though the tough conditions had meant a total reduction in breeding stock, Mr Rose has held on to 10 of his stud Limousin bulls in the hope of retaining the high quality genetics the family has worked so hard to build.
"They're talking about more dry to come and we've been here before but never to this extent," he said.
"We had 28mm about a fortnight ago and the country has responded reasonably well for this time of the year - we've still got dry feed - but some it's the luck of being under storms and others have missed out and are in a really bad way."
