On his recent visit to Bali, Angus Adnam, AAA Livestock Services, gave a group of Australians an opportunity to visit the largest cattle market in Bali where 850 locally bred Bali cattle (Bossondaicus) were presented for sale to local breeders and fatteners, butchers and inter island traders.
The visitors, including Peta, Alec and Cherie Walker, Gillespie, Blackall, Hugh McDonald, Blackall, Henry Crothers, ex Dirranbandi, Richard and Lindsay Moffat, Taroom, Dan and Jordie Muller, Walcha, Garry Edwards Agriculture Asset Management Brisbane, Richard Trivett Austrex, Leigh and Lyn Henzell, Mt Pleasant, were fortunate enough to have local resident David Heath, ex Elders NT, show them around the sale.
The sale process is carried out by individual animal private treaty with clearance of slaughter animals predominately shipped to Java included early in the morning followed by breeding animals and calves which extended well into the morning.
The Australians were interested to learn that Bali does not permit the importation of animals from Australia for breeding or slaughter as the island is considered the Indonesian centre for the breeding of these Bali cattle which have different characteristics to Bos Taurus and Bos Indicus.
These local cattle mature early with light bones, comparatively small frame and very high fertility. Females frequently become pregnant when a calf is still suckling. This Indonesian breed of cattle are spread throughout southern Indonesia and have traditionally been used in the rice paddies to cultivate the land. With rising domestic meat prices they now provide a domestic breeding base for the increasing annual meat consumption.
Ekka update
As time draws close to my favourite time of the year RNA vice-president Angus Adnam has reported that there have been solid entries in all parts of the RNA cattle section.
With Angus and his delightful wife Margie, I was fortunate to attend the RNA media launch this week where I caught up with president David Thomas and his charming wife Jane who have just returned from a trip to Europe. It was great to also catch up with Councillor Gary Noller who continues his good work as chairman of the Beef Committee and his wife Debbie.
Hope to see you all at this year’s Ekka.
Spread narrows in US beef market
Prices for most lean beef categories reported by the Steiner Consulting Group in their weekly report for MLA were higher again this week – still being driven by limited volumes available in the US imported spot market. Imported beef is getting closer in price to domestic beef each week, with the customs cleared prices for some categories already higher than equivalent US beef products.
The imported 90CL cow beef indicator rose a further 2.5USc this week, to 204.5USc/kg CIF (up 3.4Ac, to 602.2Ac/kg CIF). At a customs cleared level, imported 90CL cow beef was reported at 212USc/lb, compared with US domestic 90CL beef at a weighted average of 216.55USc/lb.
Beef business has been performing well at both retail and foodservice this US summer, with retailers featuring beef prominently and quick service restaurants reporting stronger sales than expected (Steiner Consulting and Urner Barry).
‘Fair go for farmers’ billboards
Billboards urging Queenslanders to "support fair laws for farmers" go up in Brisbane, Bundaberg and Townsville this week to drive home the message that tougher vegetation management restrictions will cost jobs and push up food prices.
AgForce general president Grant Maudsley said the billboards were the next stage of AgForce's "Fair Laws for Farmers" campaign and would be displayed for at least the next two months.
"Queensland agriculture has the potential to grow from $17 billion a year to $30 billion over the next decade, but that growth will be stifled if the Palaszczuk government's proposed changes to vegetation management laws go ahead," he said.
"AgForce has always said we are willing to work through a science and evidence based process on this legislation, but the Queensland government has been more interested in appeasing extreme green views than developing good policies.
"Farmers just want a fair go. Farmers just want sensible land management laws so they can grow their businesses, create jobs and produce more food and fibre."
Mr Maudsley said the three locations chosen were in key electorates for the Palaszczuk government.
"The Brisbane billboard is located at the busy intersection of Moggill Road and Jephson Street in Environment Minister Steven Miles' Mount Coot-tha electorate while the Bundaberg billboard is in the heart of Agriculture Minister Leanne Donaldson's electorate," he said.
"We have also chosen to have a billboard in Townsville to send a message to the three local Labor MPs, particularly Assistant Minister Coralee O'Rourke, that they should be supporting fair laws for farmers if they are serious about 'developing the north' and creating more local jobs."
The billboards follow the establishment of a website – www.fairlawsforfarmers.com – with farmer videos explaining how the law changes would affect them and protest rallies in Central Queensland and Cape York.
Mr Maudsley said more protests were being planned and AgForce was crowdfunding to support the campaign via the new website.
"Right across Queensland, landholders are telling us they want to take direct action targeting the politicians who support these ridiculous laws," he said.
"We just want fair laws that provide certainty to landholders and stand the test of time. We just want fair laws that allow farmers to get on with the job of producing high quality food and fibre for Australia and the rest of the world."
More information is available at www.fairlawsforfarmers.com and Queenslanders can join the conversation on social media with #FairLaws4Farmers.
Wool report
Jason Thomson, Schute Bell, reported it was an exceptional start to the new selling season with a surge on the first day of sales being followed up by further increases on the final day.
The jump came as somewhat of a surprise given that the Aussie dollar increased against the US by almost 1 cent compared to last week’s sale.
Mid micron Merino fleece types were once again the big winners with the finer types also receiving good support. The Crossbred sector was the only area to go backwards this week, continuing its downtrend.
The 22 and 23 micron categories made new 20 year highs this week with the 20 and 21 micron indicators not far off setting new highs as well. 37,663 bales were sold nationally for the week with a low passed in rate of 3.8pc.
Major buyers included Chinatex, Techwool and PJ Morris. Forward markets were active this week with prices available for the spring improving dramatically. Levels do taper off quite rapidly towards the end of the year and it would need the current market to hold at these levels for some time to see any increase in longer dated forward prices.