He doesn’t have much excess feed but Blackall organic beef producer, James Pearson, couldn’t resist the opportunity to purchase some of the steers on offer at Queensland’s first organically accredited cattle sale on Thursday.
He and his wife Sarah purchased four pens, three of the Santa Gertrudis steer lots from Goodwood Pastoral Co at Boulia and one pen of Simmental/Hereford steers from Lorne Downs at Augathella, paying from 324c/kg to 342c/kg for 120 head.
“I didn’t come to buy,” James said. “I just thought they were good quality and good value, and it was too good an opportunity to miss.”
A year ago the Pearsons paid 430c/kg for organic cattle of similar quality on AuctionsPlus.
They’ve been accredited organic since 2005 and James said it suited them to work in that environment.
“From here west, we do nothing different and we get a premium for it,” James said.
Despite being mainly a breeding operation, he said he’d be keen to attend more organic sales at Blackall.
“It’s great to have a place where you can market your cattle in with everyone else,” he said. “We could even use it ourselves one day.”
Sally Gall
Based at Blackall, CW Qld, where I've raised a family, run Merino sheep and beef cattle, and helped develop a region - its history, tourism, education and communications. Get in touch at 0427 575 955 if you've got a story idea for me.
Based at Blackall, CW Qld, where I've raised a family, run Merino sheep and beef cattle, and helped develop a region - its history, tourism, education and communications. Get in touch at 0427 575 955 if you've got a story idea for me.
