National shows, life memberships and multi-million dollar properties

They include the Grafton weaner sale, the Violet Hills Charolais sale, the Hazeldean Angus sale and we'll be getting along to them plus much more.

You can also expect a story from Working Dog Sale and Trial, at CQLX in Gracemere, Qld, and the Berridale Flock Ewe Competition as well.

Making news this week:

Significant increases in flow targets and the Menindee Lakes storage minimum could have a devastating impact on northern Murray Darling Basin communities if the numbers proposed by the Independent Connectivity Expert Panel review into the Barwon-Darling River are adopted, the NSW Irrigators' Council says.

Both the Limousins and Murray Greys had their national shows and sales last week. In the Murray Greys, Ganado Too Cool, exhibited by Courtney Hazeldene, Ganado Murray Greys, Bendigo, Vic, claimed the supreme exhibit title before being sold for the top price in the sale. In the Limousins, Bush Park Trick Star T7, exhibited by Patrick Halloran, Bush Park Limousins, Kyneton, Vic, took out the top prize in the show while Warrigal Thunder T33, offered by the Relf family, went for the top price at the sale.

There wasn't a dry eye in the house when Armidale's Greg Teal was awarded ALPA life membership. Australian Livestock, Property and Agents Association chief executive officer Peter Baldwin, assisted by ALPA life member and independent board member, Thomas George, presented the award in Armidale and reflected upon Mr Teal's illustrious career at the same time.

An outstanding 1504-hectare fattening property has sold for a figure understood to be in the range of $30 million. The NSW Northern Tablelands property Lakeside was initially passed in for $28.1m at the Meares & Associates but the property sold for what is understood to be a substantially higher figure about 30 minutes after the auction on Wednesday.

The young cattle market's softer trend gained pace as big supplies of weaners continue to be turned off across NSW. Rain in the past month has certainly helped, but follow-up widespread rain is needed to entice buyers into the market as the weather starts to cool. The Eastern Young Cattle Indicator slipped another 27 cents a kilogram (carcase weight), on the back of a 13c/kg fall the week before.

One of Oxley's colleagues, who is prone to forgetfulness after an early start, stopped his ute atop the range at sunrise to change out of shorts into jeans.

But his heart sank on discovery that he packed no such article.

A vision of the reporter eagling bids in casual wear didn't register any respect, so he hatched a plan while driving into town.

A quick stop at the work-wear shop and once dressed in denim was out the door.

However, when he got to the sale an agent tapped him on the shoulder.

"Mate, you've still got the tag on your trousers!"

Oxley's offsider was at Singleton covering the weaner sale and had his taste buds tempted by hot food appearing on the catwalks around lunchtime.

The old canteen was empty, the food instead available from a caravan that wouldn't look out of place on sideshow alley, complete with Pluto Pups on the menu.

They proved popular, even though the orders were for Dagwood Dogs, not Pluto Pups.

The UAE is usually desert, but has just experienced significant floods after its biggest downpours in 75 years.

Being so dry, it has become commonplace that authorities use cloud seeding to increase rainfall.

However, a conspiracy has now emerged that the extreme rain was due to this practice.

Oxley assumes in such an oil dependent economy they needed something other than climate change to blame.