A hereford bull smashed a Northern Rivers Livestock Exchange sales record last week.
The bull fetched $16,000 at the annual Ramsey & Bulmer Bull and Female auction.
The price was $7000 more than last year’s top-priced seller.
The live auction, known as the Whiteface sale, featured a selection of Santa Gertrudis and Hereford bulls and females, with vendors travelling from as far afield as Theodore, Queensland and Little Plain, near Inverell.
Fifty-five lots went under the hammer with bulls averaging $7083.33. The top-priced bull sold for McPherson Herefords, Koreelah at $16,000.
The top-priced heifer was a Santa Gertrudis sold by Gryanda Pastoral Co at $5000 with heifers averaging $4000.
Top-priced cow and calf were Santa Gertrudis sold by Avalon for $6000. Cows and calves averaged $5000.
NRLX operations manager Brad Willis said the rising prices being paid per head in the past 12 months meant demand for cattle remained high.
He said the Whiteface sale was preceded by the regular Wednesday prime sale which saw 1077 head sold, resulting in just over $1.4 million for the day.
“There’s a lot of confidence in the market and increased competition from restocker buyers has continued to support prices as producers look to rebuild numbers.”
This article appeared in the Richmond River Independent, 30 June 2021.