News

Euroa cattle sale cancelled amid FMD fears

By Daneka Hill

Aug 3, 2022

Cattle prices have been softening as the winter slump and foot and mouth fears align. The Euroa Saleyards decided to cancel its August 3 sale after seeing a lot of uncertainty among buyers.

A low yarding and high press coverage of foot and mouth disease led to the Euroa Saleyards cancelling its August sale.

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The monthly store sales at Euroa often turn over 1000 head of cattle valued at more than $1 million, but the August sale was considered too risky to run.

Euroa Saleyards manager E’vette Burrows said nobody wanted 1000 cattle locked down in a saleyard and not moving because people wouldn’t buy them.

“We postponed the sale because, to be honest, they didn’t have a lot of cattle lined up and with all the worry and press about foot and mouth disease, there was a concern buyers were too nervous,” Ms Burrows said.

“That’s despite the disease not even being in Australia, but the press coverage was really high at the time they decided to postpone the sale.”

The decision to postpone was made a week before the sale was scheduled to run.

Ms Burrows said it never hurt to play things safe.

“Anything which makes farmers have a little think about their biosecurity process is a good thing,” she said.

“It is about having a separate paddock for your new cattle, not letting strangers drive onto your property and not letting your cattle touch your neighbours’.”

The next Euroa store sale is scheduled for Wednesday, September 7.