Finger family fattening for live export, Jap Ox markets

Working in partnership with Brendon’s parents, Noel and Sue Finger, the family operate over two properties in the Clermont region, with 20,300 hectares of cattle country.

The family downsized their breeding herd seven years ago due to poor seasons and now place a larger focus on trading cattle. 

They aim to buy light Brahman steers and finish them for the Jap Ox market with bullocks dressing between 320kg and 350kg. 

He said the Brahman steers had proven hardier in dry times but said the crossbreds had also shown superior for weight for age.

“We buy from Clermont or Emerald sales, and sometimes Longreach or Blackall,” Mr Finger said. 

“Going back 18 months ago we bought a fair few from out west when they had cattle, but with numbers declining out there there’s not much to buy there anymore.”

Telarah is a family affair for the Fingers who work closely with Brendon’s parents.

Mrs Finger said after her husband’s parents gave them the opportunity to buy into the cattle breeding and fattening operation, she realised how valuable the expertise and experience would be to them beginning to take over the business.

“We are really lucky because they’ve bought us in with the cattle… and Noel has been great in giving Brendon the opportunity to do the buying and selling and really take hold of that part of the business,” she said. 

“I think it’s amazing when you have good foundations like those that Noel and Sue have laid, because they worked so hard to build the foundations, and there is a lot less risk for us coming in because there’s a stable start.

“Even with me taking over the books, Sue is constantly there, and because she’s so knowledgable there’s very little risk of getting anything wrong.” 

Mr Finger said getting the perfect balance between the old and the new was vital for any business, but especially in agriculture. 

“You have always got to be changing, you can never stop,” he said. 

“We don’t want to reinvent the wheel - Noel and his brothers really built their whole fortune - they came from very little, and they built themselves up,” Mrs Finger added.

“There’s no need to change what we’ve done, with exceptions. We have to adapt to the market, like with live export.”

After sending their first cattle on a boat only two years ago, Mrs Finger said it was a risk that ultimately paid off. 

“We were only seeing what you saw in the media when it came to live export,” she said.

“It was worrying - there were rumours that you didn’t get paid for a long time, and there was a bit of risk.”

Mr Finger said after getting some rain this year, and buying light steers at the beginning of the year before prices skyrocketed, he was happy with how the year was playing out. 

“We were quite lucky in the drought, back in 2013 was the driest for us, and it was only one year,” he said.