Despite ongoing dry conditions smothering the vast majority of the state, the fact remains that seedstock essentially keep the business of beef churning.
The Dangarfield Santa Gertrudis sale was no exception to the rule, where the Adams family achieved a record top price of $72,500 for their stud with the sale of Dangarfield Anzac.
The 26-month-old polled sire weighed in at an impressive 982kg with P8, rib fat, and eye muscle area measurements of nine, seven and 137mm respectively.
The standout Santa Gertrudis sire was purchased by Greg Kroll of Oakdale Santa Gertrudis, Chinchilla.
Mr Kroll said he had visited the Dangarfield bull depot at Kingswood, Taroom, a week previously to cast his eye over his potential purchase.
“He is a bull with tremendous eye appeal and a sirey head that you can’t look past,” he said.
“He has a good skin and a tidy sheath- ultimately everything I look for in a bull to join our stud.”
Mr Kroll said he had attended other Santa Gertrudis sales in the lead-up to the Dangarfield sale but had not been successful elsewhere.
The difference, he said, was the confidence he felt in committing to the purchase of Anzac.
“The Adams family presents a very consistent line of bulls each year, and they work for their clients,” he said.
“They have agreed to keep Anzac here on account of the intense drought conditions at home, until it rains enough for him to go home and join our stud Santa herd.
“We failed to receive any planting rain so we have no oats this year, so here’s hoping for a strong season coming our way.”
Dangarfield principle Ben Adams said while high prices such as that drawn for Dangarfield Anzac were the cream and it was always exciting to sell bulls back into other studs, it was selling a consistent line to repeat buyers that really made him tick.
“There was no doubt a fair amount of interest in Anzac due to his great strength of breeding- his sire was a very popular bull- but we take great pride in the fact there was interest in the entire offering across the board,” Mr Adam said.
“We felt there was the right mix of new buyers operating today, which gives us confidence for the future too.”
Taking out second top price honours was Dangarfield Arizona, selling to Hewitt Cattle Company, Emerald, for $26,000.
The major volume buyer of the day was the Knudsen family of Chinchilla, purchasing 12 sires to gross $52,000.
The sale of 82 Dangarfield Santa Gertrudis classified and herd bulls grossed $613,500 with an average sale price of $8,521 for an 88 per cent clearance under the hammer.
A total of 45 classified ‘S’ bulls grossed $432,000, selling for an average of $9,600 to clear 98 per cent.
Dangarfield sold 27 herd bulls to gross $18,500 with a $6,722 average and a 75 per cent clearance.
In addition, half of the bulls passed in under the hammer were sold in the backyards immediately after the sale.
In a testament to the Adams family’s reputation, the notable majority of buyers present at the sale were from the renowned Taroom beef grazing district.
Speaking with regard to the effect of dry conditions on seedstock sales such as Dangarfield, Peter Brazier, GDL studstock, said the above results were a good demonstration of confidence within the industry.
“Everyone is facing the same conditions at present but producers are showing a lot of confidence in the market as far as stud sales are going,” he said.
“The demand is there so the market should not fall over but as we all know, some decent rain is the real answer.
“If buyers lock on to the real top sires there’s still plenty of money there but I think all breeds are missing those genuine middle men spending in the $6000 to $10,000 bracket.
“Blokes today paying $7000 for a bull would usually be spending 10 or $11,000, so I think that’s what is contributing to the slightly lower clearance rates of between 75 and 90 per cent across the board.”
Despite trying weather conditions Ben Adams said he was pleased with the outcome of his sale.
“Considering the lingering dry and the fact we had to select these bulls four months ago, it’s never easy knowing how many bulls we should present,” Mr Adams said.
“Our goal was to average $8,500, which we have achieved, and to clear 100 per cent, so all in all we’re quite happy with the result.”