G’Day to the UK Jack Harper’s June Blog

The summer (and of course winter) solstices have been and gone, and the year again is reaching the point where it begins to snowball away in front of our eyes.

A slightly shorter look into life in the Northern Hemisphere for June. This month, I write following a little getaway along the Croatian coastline – still caked in salt from the Adriatic Sea and sporting a tan that would envy my Australian summer self.

Since our last update, I haven’t spent too much time in the Borderway office. Out in the markets, however, it has become the norm for the new season lambs to dominate the yardings within the H&H biosphere. Young lambs have been well received by all of the buyers and have become the flavour of the month. From export through to domestic trade, the push for fresh, high-yielding suckers has become more than evident, and the market found a nice base, with strong competition for the best-bred and finished types. Old lambs are now a thing of the past, being pushed through in the mutton sale. Unlike Australia, where a “hogget” (two incisors in wear) would still be sold in the lamb run, announced as a hogget, (a younger sheep), and receive a premium as opposed to mutton, the UK classifies anything that has cracked its first tooth as mutton, which is then sold accordingly.

The cattle market has remained relatively stable in comparison to last month. Store cattle have seen the greatest advances, with producers again showing confidence in the future of the prime cattle market. Cast cows have seen steady increases week on week, and this trend has flowed on to breeding cattle, which also continue to trade well. Each week, the live ring has proven to be the best option for producers looking to cash in on old cows, consistently outperforming over-the-hook rates.

The Royal Highland Show was a great success. A warm few days were had by all, and the odd cool refreshment was certainly required to get through the sunny evenings. An absolute credit to all of the exhibitors involved, the presentation of all grades of stock was second to none. In addition to the livestock, there were plenty of agricultural stands to peruse. From livestock handling systems, machinery, and clothing (finally somewhere to polish my worn-out-looking boots), there was something for everyone, and it’s certainly a show worth seeing for any agricultural enthusiast. The shearing stand offered plenty of entertainment and drew a big crowd, especially during the sunny afternoons when a bit of shade was needed. I would say that it was very similar to the Sydney Royal Easter (just without the Young Auctioneers Competition and a day-long cattle sale to sit and enjoy!). All in all, a jam-packed few days.

In other exciting news, June saw yours truly strap the microphone on for an afternoon’s selling in the H&H Auction Rooms. While not yet my specialty in livestock, it was a great deal of fun and a good way to get the voice and auctioneering brain ticking over again. It also gave me a chance to see whether the field of buyers could understand the slightly different accent and style of the Australian auctioneer. From all reports, there were no immediate issues. It did spark some good conversation among those wondering where the new auctioneer might hail from.

While it was a relatively short month for me work-wise, it was certainly a good one. From an improving lamb market to a stint on the rostrum, right through to the Highland Show, the calendar filled up fast. As we progress into July, I expect yarding numbers to continue rising week on week. The suckers have been slightly slower than expected but are coming on now. Store cattle numbers have also remained relatively low, I suspect due to the recent busy show schedule.

As July rolls on, the weeks are set to become busy again. Store lamb sales are due to kick off by the end of the month, ram sales are on our doorstep, and breeding stock sales are merely weeks away. It has been enjoyable to have had a few quieter weeks in June, but I am definitely looking forward to the hustle and bustle of the next few months. Seeing the sale yards once again come alive with vendors and buyers alike – that is what the livestock marketing industry is all about.

Enjoy July. In no time at all, the seasons will be ready to change again. Whether that means it will turn cold or warm up, enjoy whatever you’re in the midst of now. I’d best get myself back into the groove of work to make sure that the July update is a little bit longer!