The biggest annual bull sale in the Northern Territory has recorded one of its strongest years on record, defying expectations after a difficult run. The auction, held in Katherine, went ahead despite many Territory cattle stations having just endured one of the heaviest wet seasons in decades, as well as the high price of fuel weighing on producers.
Sellers had feared the conditions would make for a tough market. Many thought the big wet, and the late start it forced on people, would make it hard to move the number of bulls on offer. Instead, those at the sale said it ran exceptionally well, with one describing it as a good, strong sale that went better than anyone had expected.
The numbers told the story of the day. A total of 145 Brahman bulls went under the hammer at the Katherine auction. Together they fetched a very strong average price of 4,991 dollars a head, a result that sellers described as exceptional given how uncertain the build-up to the sale had been.
At the top end, one animal stood clear of the rest. The top-selling bull went for 16,000 dollars, underlining the premium that buyers were willing to pay for the best genetics on offer at the sale this year as competition for the strongest bloodlines intensified.
Most of the bulls are destined for top-end cattle stations, but some will travel much further afield. Buyers came from the Kimberley in Western Australia and from around Alice Springs, spreading the Katherine bloodlines across a wide stretch of northern and central Australia in the weeks ahead.
Among the buyers was a major Indonesian cattle importer from West Java, who purchased 12 bulls. The animals are set to join his productive heifer herd in Indonesia, reflecting a growing push to supplement Australian live cattle imports with more breeding closer to home, supported by Australian genetics flowing north.
For the studs, the result raises the bar for next year. Paul Herrod said people were now prepared to spend 4,000, 5,000 and 6,000 dollars on better bulls, and that it was the job of the studs to keep presenting ever stronger animals to increasingly discerning buyers who, he said, are not frightened to spend the money.