Stud stock agent Ryan Morris says cattle are still selling strong

By Victoria Ellis Border Mail

February 27 2022 – 4:00am

WINNING BID: The $18,500 top-priced bull with Holbrook buyer Gavin Yench, Ray White stud stock agent and auctioneer Ryan Morris and Tallangatta’s Tara Brewer.

A stud stock agent based in Albury says cattle prices are strong and he doesn’t know when they’ll level out.

Ryan Morris said the market had been buoyant over the last 18 months.

“Coming into a better season, producers are looking to source or replace females they lost over the dry,” he said.

“So there’s still very strong competition on high quality females for donor programs and obviously just general restocking.”

Mr Morris said bull sales had also been going well in the stud world.

“There has been talk of it coming back, but I think it will stay very similar to where it’s been,” he said.

“We haven’t seen the depth of who needs bulls for females yet, as people are still looking to replace females.”

Mr Morris was auctioneer at a Brewer Beef bull sale in Tallangatta last week, which he said showed the strength of the market.

Brewer Beef’s David Brewer said the sale went well.

“We had 20 more bulls than what we had in the sale in 2021 and we had 15 new clients or new buyers,” he said.

“Beef prices depend on rainfall and there’s a lot of feed in the country and it’s raining, particularly in the north very well, and that’s always been a major driver for us for cattle to go north either as breeders or cattle to be grown out.”

The Brewers sold 14 Koetong Angus bulls, (with the top price of $18,500 and an average of $9607), and sold 33 Brewer Beef Simmental bulls (with a top price of $13,000 and an average of $6863).

The $18,500 top priced Angus bull was Koetong Durham R1 purchased by Gavin Yensch and family from Holbrook, who had previously purchased high-sellers from the Brewer family.

Mr Brewer attributed the high prices in part to being hosting the auction online.

“It was the first time we’d been on AuctionPlus, so I think that gave us a lot more exposure than the last few years,” he said.

Mr Morris said prices would level out, but he couldn’t say when.

“It depends on producers commitments to how heavily they’re going to restock or to the numbers they’re wanting to be comfortable be operating at…it would be very hard to pick,” he said.

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