The need to offload stock has not waned for many Queensland cattle graziers with follow up rain virtually non-existent in most parts.
Tammy Whitten, May Downs, Hughenden, left home early Sunday morning with 109 head of Droughtmaster/Santa-cross steers and heifers and trucked the mob 950 odd kilometres to the Roma Saleyards for today’s store sale.
Ms Whitten said the strain of the last four years of dry weather had not lessened for graziers in her area.
“There’s people out there spending $2000 a day keeping cattle alive,” she said.
“I’ve been lucky to hold on to a little bit of green pick but I’m careful to keep lightening the load because of the way things are.”
Ms Whitten said she received 76 millimetres of rain at Christmas but had not measured any rain since then to keep moisture in the ground.
“It was nice to get that fall but it’s just been dry for so long that it’s going to take a lot more to do any permanent good,” she said.
“We need an opportunity for real growth in the pasture and we just can’t get it.
“What pick we had is dying off now so we made the decision to sell today.”
Ms Whitten’s 56 steers averaged 309kg and topped at 338c/kg to return $1019/head. The remaining 53 heifers from the mob made $811/head, weighing an average of 296kg at 274c/kg.
Ms Whitten said the solid prices for store cattle at present made a big difference during a drought.
“These cattle haven’t got the weight they should have but I’d rather cut my losses,” she said.
“As the old saying goes- it’s better to sell them than smell them.”
In a similar boat
The need to decrease the load on country in need of rain is also felt by those in the Maranoa.
Antonette Anderson, East Sunrise, Injune, was at the store sale to see 68 of her family’s Charbray steers and heifers sold.
The 44 steers averaged 304kg to make 357c/kg and return $1085/head. The 293kg heifer portion topped at 314c/kg and averaged 307c/kg, returning $897/head.
Mrs Anderson said after a reasonable start to the season their property had received very little rainfall since.
“We always sell in Roma straight off their mothers because we’ve got nowhere to put them,” she said.
“There’s more need at the moment however because there’s no telling what the season may do from here.”
With the cattle market remaining strong there is at least some light at the end of the tunnel for graziers enduring the ongoing dry.
