CEO Update January

It has been a very tough start to 2026 in some parts of the country with dry conditions and fires persisting. Many in the Victorian community are currently facing the devastating impacts of the ongoing bushfires. Our thoughts are with all those affected, both Herefords Australia members and others living and working in the impacted areas, as they deal with loss, uncertainty and disruption.

In particular we extend our deepest sympathies to the family and friends of member Maxwell Hobson of Aintree Farm Herefords, Terip Terip, Victoria, following his recent passing. Our thoughts are with his loved ones during this very difficult time.

We extend our heartfelt support to everyone affected. You are in our thoughts, and we sincerely hope that you, your families, and your livestock remain safe during this challenging period.

Over recent weeks the southern weaner sales have been in full swing. I was able to get to the Western Districts weaner sales in Hamilton and Casterton for a few days. It was a great opportunity to catch up with a few members and other long-term supporters of the Hereford breed. Sale prices appeared to hold up very well to the seasonal uncertainty in many districts.

There has been significant debate about the perceived differences in prices between Angus and Hereford cattle over the course of these sales. From my observations of the sales I attended this perceived price difference has not been consistent and over the course of the week the gap closed significantly. In fact, at Bairnsdale the following week Hereford cattle sold at higher rate in comparison to Angus.

If you take the time to look into the prices in more detail it does remind us of a couple of important points. Firstly, Hereford cattle typically achieve better prices at sales specifically for Hereford cattle. If the yarding is predominantly Herefords, the buyers in attendance will likely be looking to source cattle for grass finishing or short-fed enterprises. If at all possible, consign your stock to sales where buyers are going to be looking for those classes of stock.

Additionally, making sure that your stock are eligible to go into as many supply chains as possible means that you are maximising competition of them. At the sales I attended it was great to see the number of vendors whose cattle were EU accredited as well as participating in supply chain programs such as the Greenham NEVER EVER program. These accreditations appeared to be associated with a 10 to 15 c/kg premium.

While there have been a number of media outlets report favourably on the prices received for Hereford cattle at these sales it has been disappointing to see one or two other outlets run negative articles. These articles have been based on incomplete market reports citing one agency’s sales of cattle of different breeds on different days. Given the number of variables that influenced the price of cattle at those different sales and other recent sales where Hereford prices were higher, it is completely misleading to report the price differences quoted in these articles as being breed differences.

What is possibly more concerning is that a number of people who are supporters of the Hereford breed have then been sharing these stories on social media. Sharing these stories serves to amplify them and ensures that they get viewed more widely. It is counter-productive for Hereford breeders to be drawing more attention to these articles. Thank you to the members who added comments to these posts sharing the details about much more favourable sale results. These responses are needed to counter misinformation and ensure that people see good news stories.

There are many good news stories out there about Hereford cattle and the benefits of running them. I encourage all members to share these stories to help grow market share for our breed.

Kind regards,

Hamish Chandler