By Peter Kerr, MLA Cattle: LWB 10 – LWY 149 – LWC 79 – OAY 12 Numbers fell sharply as agents yarded less then half of the week before with 250 head coming forward. These sold to the regular field of trade and processor buyers along with some feeder and restocker interest however with the small number not all of the buying field were fully active. Quality was mixed as the market ranged from firm to a little easier in price. Yearling steers to trade buyers made from 255c to 320c with similar heifers making from 270c to 340c/kg. Feeders sought steers from 250c to 326c with heifers returning from 285c to 325c as restockers took a single pen of steers at 315c/kg. Grown cattle were small in number as steers reached 285c with the heifers making from 218c to also 285c as the trade sourced all of this category. […]

Opinion: Mulga Bill Two years ago the WA Parliament passed a Bill to do with restrictions on farmland. It seemed to escape the notice of farmers and their organisations while it remained in the background.  However it came into force on July 1st this year. Any area of land approximately larger than a house block is now under strict regulation. Before a posthole can be dug, farmers will require approval from aboriginal people. Inspection will probably incur a fee and who knows how much delay might be encountered. Not only will the presence of some rare animal be a factor but even spiritual feelings could be involved. This is an outright attack on rights attributed to Private Property and is likely to have a negative impact on valuations. It is not only the WA farmers who are suffering this imposition because North Western Victoria has fallen under very similar restrictions. […]

Ag Speak: By Kristin Murdock  Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA) have released their mid-year cattle industry projections and their forecast for the growth of the Australian beef herd has been moderated downward. The reason being higher slaughter estimates now bite into the ability for the herd to increase. In 2023 the herd is expected to reach 28.7 million head, a revision down of 0.4 per cent from the January 2023 projections. MLA have also revised the 2024 and 2025 herd projections downward by 1.3 per cent and 1.2 per cent, respectively. In 2024 the herd is expected to hit 28.9 million head and reach toward 29.2 million head in 2025. Underpinning the slower herd growth over the next few years has been upward revisions to annual cattle slaughter volumes. In 2023 MLA now project slaughter to hit 6.95 million head, an increase of 4.9 per cent on the January 2023 […]