Optimism for bull-selling season

Otago Daily Times

27-05-2025

The next few weeks will tell if high export beef prices and a more upbeat mood rubs off on farmer spending at Canterbury bull sales.
After stud breeders opened up their selections in annual bull walks last week farmers will be putting together a want-list now they have a better picture of the catalogue lineups for rising 2-year-old bulls.
Canterbury's bull-selling season starts in earnest for the traditional breeds at Okawa Hereford Stud tomorrow, followed by the likes of Cleardale Angus on Friday, Orari Gorge Hereford on June 4 and Grassmere Hereford & Riverlands Angus a day later.
Bidding got away to a good start further south with a black Simmental from Leafland Simmental in North Taieri selling for a top price of $42,000 to Tom Sanson, of Gold Creek Simmentals near Gisborne.
PGG Wrightson Upper South Island genetics representative Simon Eddington said the bull walk days accompanied by good weather had been well supported and showed farmers were looking to buy bulls.
Bull selections were showing the results of good breeding and a first-rate growing season.
He said farmers were in a happier space overall.
"There's a lot of optimism out there at the moment with good red meat prices, calf prices and hopefully that will flow into the bull sales as well.
"Everything is looking pretty good and we got a good turnout for people looking and inquiring.
"They've got their bulls at home and are thinking they can turn them over for $2500 to $3000 and that's not a big change-over for a lot of them so they can refresh their genetics."
He said farmers who had kept bulls on last year because of a lack of buying power from a hard growing season and a dry North Canterbury would look at turning them over.
"With the way the meat prices are going, they can quit those old bulls and get some younger bulls in and that's really what's happening.
"Beef prices are strong and going forward they look like they will continue to be as well.
"Some of the outlook for beef is we have a diminishing herd in large parts of the world, especially the United States, and they need our product."
He said initial signs were promising after good sale results further south.
"We've had some Simmental sales both in the North Island and South Island and they have gone well.
"Price-wise, they have been very good and demand has been good too with more bulls sold and better clearances than last year which indicates guys are looking.
"We have had feed pretty much the whole of the South Island except for parts of Marlborough and they are coming to it again now.
"Generally speaking, it has been a very good growing season which is part of the good frame of mind as well."
South Canterbury's Opawa Simmentals sold lot three for $22,000, averaging just under $10,000 for 25 bulls sold of 27 presented.
Further south, top prices included $18,000 for a Delmont Angus bull in Clinton with the stud completing a full clearance of 33 bulls for a $10,000 average.
Leafland had an average of just over $9000 after selling 22 of 25 bulls, Glenside Simmental from Waitahuna averaged about $9000 with a top price of $14,500 and Beresford Simmental had a top bid of $14,000.
Mr Eddington said Canterbury farmers had plenty of feed after a slow start and were in a position of being able to finish stock to good weights and get the benefit of that in the marketplace.
Stud breeders had put a lot of work into improving fertility, good calving and growth rates.
"When somebody goes to buy a bull or two they might get one as a follow-up too if they have got the money to do that.
"Costs have gone up as well and they will still be cautionary about what they are buying, but from what I have seen there is a good quality number of bulls from all breeds out there to get a fair chance of getting a good pick."
He said farmer optimism was positive compared with the same time last year.
"The only down side we are seeing is we are still losing land — and it's more in Southland than here — to trees.
"That is still a big concern and when you drive around that lower part looking at bulls you are seeing good cattle country with trees on them."
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