Confidence high at Kempsey steer and bullock sale

With no signs of abating today, the rain continued as 1500 head of cattle went under the hammer at the Kempsey Stock and Land's annual steer and bullock sale in which agent Laurie Argue early called: "it's one of the strongest sales we've had in recent years".

"The high prices are bringing cattle, instead of holding onto them for another 12 months they are selling now," Laurie said before the sale.

Jim Eden from Hat Head, who sold 120 mixed steers and bullocks (runner-up for best pen of bullocks), said he was selling due to the extremely wet conditions.

A pen of Mr Eden's bullocks (nine) weighing an average of 590 kilograms kicked off the sale selling for 352.2c/kg or $2079.93 to Clark Ag of Narrabri who purchased a number of his cattle.

It was followed by the sale of four of Rivergum's Santa Gertrudis cross cattle weighing an average of 623.7kg, selling for 340c/kg or $2120.

A hand-made sign with the image of their grandfather Darryl Kirkbride was pinned to the pen which held this year's charity bullock.

The message the Sutherland girls Issy, Amelya and Zoe wrote was: "2019 and 2020 knocked our family with coronavirus, bushfire and cancer....but cancer hit us pretty hard with my grandad as he sadly passed with melanoma. I love him very much and I wish he were here".

Rebecca and Darren Sutherland have suffered their fair share of loss from cancer in the past six years.

Mr Sutherland's mother Cheryl passed away in 2014 and more recently Mrs Sutherland's father lost his battle with melanoma cancer.

In 2015, Mr Sutherland started growing charity bullocks in honour of his mother's memory with all money raised going to cancer research - and today was no different.

This time it was to also honour Mrs Sutherland's father.

"Mum and I were crying in the stands as it went under the hammer," Mrs Sutherland said.

The bullock weighing 730kg was sold to Rob Molloy for 450c/kg or $3286 - the highest amount they have received in six years.

"Cancer has hit our family pretty hard over the years," she said.

"The year after Darren's mum passed we wanted to do something in her memory, but riding a bike or shaving our heads didn't quite seem appropriate, however raising a bullock was something we could do blindfolded.

"We aim to produce the biggest and best bullock we can with every cent raised going to the Cancer Council, to further research into the fight against this horrible disease.

"This process of picking a bullock is something we don't take lightly, he is generally ear marked for the sale 12 months out, he is then moved on to quality feed and left there to fatten."