As we come into the start of September most producers in the north of the State are hoping for that long awaited spring break.
Recent storms have been very patchy but have given farmers hope that it can still rain and that the break may not be that far away.
Cattle movements are quiet in our area at the moment, as the majority of the cows are calving or have calved, and due to a colder, dry winter, minimal winter fodder crops were planted and grazed.
This has therefore reduced our numbers that we would normally see being sold at the moment as they come off these crops.
Like everywhere the cattle market has caused some very hard decisions to be made over the past few months.
But when you read recent Stock Talk columns from Peter O'Connor and Ben Emms about playing the card you are dealt, it reminds us that as agents and producers we always have options.
Each producer is dealt a different hand of cards and it is up to them to decide how to play them.
A lot of producers in the surrounding areas are making the most of the current weaner prices.
Opting to sell 300 to 400 kilogram steers that would normally be taken onto heavy weight feeders, and jump back in with lightweight weaners with a $300 to $450 a head changeover difference.
Hopefully, with a change in the season comes a change in the weather for all parts of Australia.
Although the weather outlook may not look positive, remember they have been wrong before, and we are one day closer to that spring break.
- Matthew Duff is a livestock agent with Harold Curry, Tenterfield.
Stock Talk is written by a range of stock and station agents from across NSW. It reflects their opinions and observations from their local district.
