BY the smiles on the faces of Walter, Christine and Stuart McLean, Abbieglassie, Mitchell you would be forgiven for thinking their weaner steers sold for the highest price at the Roma store sale today.
But just seeing them sell to a top of 344c/kg was enough good news to lift their spirits as they head into a fourth year of drought.
The McLean family sold 203 cross bred steers with the lead pen returning for $969/hd and the line making an average of 317c/kg at 217kg to return $690/hd.
While their sale might not break any records, the McLean family couldn’t be happier at the results given the cattle had battled a “very tough season”.
Abbieglassie is a 30,350 hectare beef and Merino sheep operation and Ms McLean said like many producers out west they had been banking on Cyclone Debbie to turn their season around.
“We got 1mm out of Debbie,” she said.
“It (the rain) stopped last September.
“It would be nice to have a normal season for a change.”
The family were forced to destock seven or eight years ago due to dry conditions but slowly returned to the beef game only to be faced with another drought.
Their herd now consists of about 600 breeders and includes Simbrah, Brangus and Brahman cross.
Landmark agent Steve Hancock said the market was down on where it had been but the McLean’s cattle sold well considering the season and where they had come from.
Lucy Kinbacher
Raised on a cattle property at Biggenden, Lucy Kinbacher has spent 10 years working across metropolitan, regional and rural publications in both Queensland and NSW. Lucy has been the editor of the Queensland Country Life and North Queensland Register since 2021.
Raised on a cattle property at Biggenden, Lucy Kinbacher has spent 10 years working across metropolitan, regional and rural publications in both Queensland and NSW. Lucy has been the editor of the Queensland Country Life and North Queensland Register since 2021.
