THE average price paid for sire prospects is on the rise this month, with bulls sold during the first two weeks of August on average over $3000 more expensive than in July.
So far, 2217 bulls have exchanged hands at an average price of $17,383 during the 37 sales The Land's journalists have attended.
RELATED READING: Average price of a bull in August was $14,351, top $190,000
Nutrien stud stock agent Tim Woodham, Wagga Wagga, says these growing figures are relative to the commercial market, buyers seeing the value in investing in quality and a northern buyer influence.
"Commercial producers have been rewarded for years of hard work, and their calves have proven the reward for effort, so they are reinvesting in top genetics and they are prepared to pay that bit more because they are seeing more for what they are doing," he said.
"We've found in the north - because bull sales haven't started in the south - that commercial buyers have found another $4000-$6000 to invest in their breeding programs.
"From the sales I've been at so far, the northern state [Queensland] have been very strong operators, and will cause a bit of a flow on effect for the central and southern sales.
"My feeling is the sales to come will get rewarded as the northern blokes that have missed out will keep drifting south to buy genetics."
Private auctioneer Paul Dooley, Tamworth, said anecdotally averages are up 20-30 per cent because of the cattle market over the past two years, not two months.
"There is another month of solid bull sales to go, and I can't see it changing," he said. "People need bulls - there is no money in having the best empty cows about."
NUMBERS GROW IN WEEK TWO
From August 8-14 a total of 1286 bulls sold of 1301 offered resulting in a 98.8pc clearance rate.
The average price of a bull was $17,271 with a total gross of $22,210,174 across the 20 sales in NSW (13) and Queensland (seven).
Once again a six-figure price tag set a personal stud record on August 12, when Stephen and Amity Chase of Waitara Angus stud, Trangie, sold Waitara GK Safekeeping S56 for $110,000 to a three-state syndicate consisting of Crawford Angus, Tumut, Cascade Angus, Currabubula, Merridale Angus, Tennyson, Vic and Little Meadows Angus, Dardanup, WA.
Te Mania's Walgett sale on August 9 was the highest-averaging bull sale of the week, with 114 bulls sold for a $24,394 average ($2,780,196 gross). The stud also notably sold Te Mania Reno R891 for $65,000 to Mackas Angus Beef, Salt Ash.
Booroomooka Angus, Bingara, was the highest grossing sale with 241 bulls sold to return $5,298,867.
FIRST WEEK OF AUGUST
From August 1-7, a total of 931 bulls sold of 942 offered at sales across NSW and Queensland resulting in a clearance rate of 98.8pc.
The average price of a bull was $17,537 with a total gross of $16,326,957 across the 17 sales.
Clunie Range, Wallangra, sold the $85,000 top-priced bull of the first week of August, Clunie Range Radford R91 purchased by Wilano Angus, Dunedoo.
Gateway Farms Wagyu, Gloucester, was the highest averaging bull sale for the week with 25 sold to average $28,382, with Clunie Range coming in second averaging $25,212 across 170 bulls to gross a whopping $4,286,040 gross.
Another notable sale was at Gateway Farms where two females made $85,000 and $82,500, and a bull, Gateway Poll S0213P, sold for $77,500.
