Around 70 per cent more bulls sold within the $15,000 to $30,000 price bracket at this year's Droughtmaster National, but the rise in prices was balanced with a consistent level of value buying.
Figures provided by Droughtmaster Australia show that 88 bulls at this year's sale sold from $15,001 to $30,000, compared with 51 the year before.
Only 60 bulls sold for $5000, compared with 104 in 2020, but the amount of sires available from $5001 to $10,000 remained consistent at 139 head (137 in 2020), as did those from $10,001 to $15,000 at 83 head.
This season's general trend of more expensive bulls wasn't lost on the DN sale either, with 11 head - or four times more bulls - making from $30,001 to $40,000, and triple the amount (12 head) making $40,001 to $100,000.
Two bulls sold from $100,001 to $150,000 this year, compared with three head in 2020. Interestingly, in 2019 only 24pc of bulls sold for more than $10,000.
That figure rose to 37pc in 2020 and was around 50pc in 2021.
The sale saw 233 bid cards registered on the ground, while 40pc of bulls received bids from online buyers.
Of the 413 bulls offered, 140 head were listed on the supplementary sheet as homozygous polled, while 152 head were said to be morphology semen tested.
With future Droughtmaster calves required to be sire verified in order to sell as 'registered' at society sponsored sales, many studs have already put DNA profiling in motion with around 225 bulls listed as sire verified and 47 parent verified.
Changes in requirements to pass biosecurity restrictions and sell into Western Australia also meant only 13 studs were listed as JBAS7 WA eligible.
The trend was a 'must have' just a few years ago, but from July this year properties were required to undertake faecal herd screening testing, instead of the check test of 50 head.
In terms of selling agents, GDL had the biggest portion of the draft with 217 bulls, Elders cleared 139 from their run and Nutrien sold 39.
Two bulls sold after the sale to clear 395 in total.
Vendor averages
The six-figure bids for the three sale headliners may have been impressive, but it's the vendor averages that paint the true picture of this year's Droughtmaster National Bull Sale.
A cohort of 21 vendors posted averages of $16,000 or more, and another seven were above the sale average of $14,370, showcasing the consistent demand and the strength of the offering.
- Lamont stud - three bulls average $51,000
- Calaanah stud - two bulls average $43,750
- K Team stud - two average $32,500
- Skye Cattle Co - nine bulls average $23,666
- Seymour stud - six bulls average $21,833
- Needmor stud - 18 bulls average $21,555
- Ridgie Didge stud - two bulls average $21,500
- True Blue stud - three bulls average $21,333
- Garthowen stud - nine bulls average $20,778
- Rondel stud - 19 bulls average $19,605
Sommer stud's four achieved a $19,250 average, while Nindethana sold five at $18,600. Farogan Valley's three bulls made an $18,000 mean, Locarno sold 11 for $17,954 each, and Medway's 12 sold at a $17,791 median.
Eli Park stud and Sakensha stud each sold four bulls at an average of $17,250, while Oasis stud's 13 lots made a $16,769 median.
Oakmore sold three bulls at an average of $16,500, while the Vale View stud and Redskin stud each sold 10 bulls for a $16,000 average.
Studs also achieving above the sale average were Hamadra and Ramardoo, Wisetree, Ianbrae, Billabong, Bundy, Waylanbar, and Oasis A.
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Hayley Kennedy
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.
