A Hereford buying bonanza in 2016 has resulted in a thumping $7000 average for more than 3000 bulls sold under the hammer nation-wide worth $18.5 million.
On the way, the breed set a top on-property price of $110,000, a new record top price at the flagship Wodonga National of $95,000 and sale average of $$9961, plus a new on-property sale breed average record of $11,700.
There were 74 on-property and multi-vendor whiteface sales around the nation this year.
A total of 3194 bulls were offered at auction with 2648 sold for a clearance of 82 per cent, gross of $18,536,172 and average of $7000.
The autumn bull sales, including the Wodonga and Dubbo Nationals, resulted in 1284 bulls selling for a gross of $9.01 million and average of $7008. In the spring run, 1364 bulls sold under the hammer for a gross of $9.52 million and average of $6983.
The top price of $110,000 was set at the Injemira 45th annual “Carcase Revolution’’ bull production sale at Book Book, NSW, on February 23. Brian Burgess, Ravensdale Poll Herefords, Holbrook, NSW, bought Injemira Anzac K220 from Injemira principal Marc Greening.
The second top price of the year, $95,000, was reached at the 2016 Herefords Australia Wodonga National Show and Sale when Tom and Amy Honner, Minlacowie Poll Herefords, Minlaton, SA, sold Minlacowie Jubilant J123 to Tom Nixon, Devon Court Herefords, Drillham, Qld.
The multi-vendor Dubbo National reaffirmed the breed’s strength by breaking the event’s sale average of $11,853.
The longest running multi-vendor bull sale in regional Australia, Glen Innes Hereford Bull Sale, set a new record top price of $45,000 for the combined horns and polls.
The bull, Battalion Black Hawk K7, was sold by Grant and Kylie Kneipp, Battalion Herefords, Dundee, NSW, to Frank Hannigan, Franco Herefords, Woodview, NSW, and Ben and Annabelle Monie, Thornleigh Herefords, Little Plain, NSW.
Stephen and Jodi Peake, Bowen Poll Herefords, Barraba, NSW, led the charge in the spring sales by setting a new breed on-property record of $11,700 on July 21.
The next closest on-property sale average was $10,024 achieved by Andrew McKay, Merawah Poll Herefords, Boggabilla, on July 19.
In the nation’s biggest on-property offering of whiteface bulls, Ironbark Herefords, Barraba, sold 137 from 187 lots in a 73 per cent clearance on August 26.
The breed flexed its muscles at the Wodonga National with the biggest catalogue in years – a total of 141 bulls sold from the 169 offered for an 83 per cent clearance, an average of $9961 and gross of $1,404,500.
