Bos indicus country is king of the multi-vendor, but who reigns supreme?
Across the country, traditional multi-vendor sales are a shadow of what they once were as single-vendor/on-property offerings grow in popularity.
That is except in Queensland, which dominates the multi-vendor bull sales domain. A total of 87 per cent of all bulls offered for sale in an ACM Agri-reported multi-vendor sale in 2024 were offered through a Queensland sale.
In 2024, the number of multi-vendor sales nationally (including only sales reported by ACM Agri publications) accounted for 17 per cent of all bull sales, down 2pc from 2023.
In terms of numbers of bulls offered at multi-vendor sales, the total dropped 10pc year-on-year to 2024. This was significantly more than the 6pc decline in the number of bulls offered through on-property/single vendor sales for the same period, according to ACM Agri figures.
Clearance rates, however, remained proportionately similar across both years. The clearance rate across all ACM Agri reported on-property/single vendor sales in 2023 was 89pc, while the multi-vendor sales cleared 80pc across all offerings.
In 2024, on-property/single vendor sales clearance rates remained unchanged, at 11pc, while the multi-vendor clearance rate improved slightly to 82pc.
Overall, every single sale that made the top 30 multi-vendor sales were Queensland sales.
- Scroll down to see the top 10
Nine of the top 30 multi-vendor sales were held at the Central Queensland Livestock Exchange at Gracemere, but these sales accounted for 52pc of the total number of bulls offered in this category.
The only British breed in a single breed offering sale to make the top 30 was Shorthorn, represented by the Northern Exposure Shorthorn Bull Sale.
Its vendors were all from the Central Tablelands and Central West of NSW.
There were also six European breed-only sales among the top ranks, represented by Charolais and Simmental/Fleckvieh, and three all-breeds type sales. The large majority of sales was otherwise Bos indicus or Bos indicus-infused.
So why has Queensland remained such a stronghold for multi-vendor sales?
GDL branch manager, Josh Heck, Rockhampton, reckons the sparsity of the region means bringing the bulls to one place makes it easier for buyers while also retaining the ability to sell into other states and the Northern Territory.
Definitely people are chasing quality over numbers these days. In the past two years there's been less multi-vendor sales achieving a 100pc clearance.
"People in Queensland are reluctant to have a sale of their own unless they've got 60 to 100 bulls," he said, unlike further south where it was more common to see offerings in the 30 to 60 bull range.
"And there's more of the thinking (in Queensland) of the studs taking the bulls to the clients."
Meanwhile, he said in the past couple of years he was seeing more buyers focus harder on quality rather than numbers, which was perhaps reflected in ACM's figures around the slightly reduced year-on-year offerings in conjunction with largely unchanged clearance rates overall.
"Definitely people are chasing quality over numbers these days. In the past two years there's been less multi-vendor sales achieving a 100pc clearance," he said.
As for this year's sales, he said a lot would hinge on how the season and markets shaped up through the middle of the year.
He said while the traders might be able to ride the fluctuations in the market, breeders were looking more to the longer term trends to find their confidence, "especially when investing in the higher-end genetics".
Also read:Revealed: The bull studs that made the Australian top 50 in the 2024 season
Meanwhile, the top 30 2024 multi-vendor bull sales, listed below, had to meet the criteria of at least 40 lots offered, at least an 80pc clearance at auction and be reported by ACM Agri publications and were ranked by average sale price.
A multi-vendor sale is that which includes multiple vendors, and does not include single vendor sales with guest vendors, or single vendor on-property sales.
There were some results of note that didn't quite scrape through on the criteria, but were still deserving of a mention, such as Elite Wagyu, Cairns, which topped at $50,000 to average $24,571 for 14 bulls sold from 19 offered; the national Wagyu Sale, Roma, which again had a strong average of $13,964 in a sale that topped at $24,000 for 56 bulls sold from 76 offered; the Santa Central Sale, Clifton, which came so close to the cut with a 79pc clearance for 69 bulls sold from 87 offered to top at $60,000 and average $12,689; Clermont Beef Bull Sale, which cleared 59 of 74 bulls (again, a 79pc clearance) to a $40,000 top and $8200 average; Lilydale Charolais Invitational, Toogoolawah, cleared 100pc of 38 bulls to top at $18,000 and average $10,565; and, the Coolabunia Limousin sale, Nanango, which topped at $40,000, averaged $8000 and cleared 30 from 38 bulls.
The top 10:
1. Carinya/Carglen
This sale, held at the Glenlands sale complex, Bouldercombe, Qld, was in only its second year in 2024 and has already gone stratospheric.
Held in late October, the sale achieved a full clearance of the 77 grey Brahman bulls offered from the two studs, Carinya, Gayndah, and Carglen, Moura, to average $18,201.
The first bull to enter the ring also set the pace, being knocked down for $170,000, Kelvin and Margaret Maloney, and Kelveen and Brad Hancock, Kenilworth Brahmans, Mt Coolon.
2. National Droughtmaster Bull Sale
Despite being relatively new to the national sale scene, a stud from Maleny, Qld, attracted the $120,000 top price at the Droughtmaster National Sale.
Sommer Felix, offered by Daniel and Teneale Sommer, Sommer Droughtmasters, sold to the Carrington family, Rondel Droughtmasters, Winton, Qld.
Across the two days, 326 of the 373 bulls offered sold to an average price of $14,595.
3. CQ Premier Charolais Sale
Leading the charge for the European breeds was the CQ Premier Charolais Sale at Gracemere where for the third consecutive year the Reid family, of Reids Charolais, Haly Creek, achieved top price.
The Reids' three sale toppers were: Reids Tabasco, bought by Andrew and Gemma Postle, Branchview Charolais, Dalby; Reids Tyson - bought by Mac and Gayle Shann, Cantour Park, Clermont; and Reids Tatum - bought by the McConnaughty family, Elstow Charolais, Coonabarabran, NSW.
4. Rocky Brangus Sale
The vendors at the Brangus Society's Rocky Brangus Sale rocked the agent's gavel hard, with $150,000 and $120,000 consecutive lots.
The top-price bull, Earlwood Riki, sold for $150,000, to both to Lindsay and Fiona Barlow, Triple B Brangus, Dingo. Minutes later, the second top-price bull, Earlwood Cobbo, was knocked down for $120,000, to the same buyers.
All up, 197 bulls averaged $13,416.
5. Monty Atkinson Genetics Sale
Droughtmaster breeders Dean and Julie Allen travelled east from below Longreach with the plan of adding potential sires to their Western Red stud, and finished up paying $50,000 to top the Monty Atkinson Genetics Sale, held at Charters Towers.
Their purchase the 25-month-old, 972 kilogram Lamont Warner from a draft of 82 bulls, which were all cleared at auction to average $13,036.
The vendors included Lamont stud, Cantaur Park, Clermont, and Mungalla stud, Farnham, Taroom.
6. Eidsvold Charolais Sale
Another European offering among the top ranks was the draft of Charolais bulls offered at the 13th annual Eidsvold Charolais sale, held at Eidsvold.
All 63 bulls were sold to $12,111 average and top price of $36,000.
The sale topper was Clare Titan, offered by Clare Charolais, Theodore, and bought by first-time buyer Hewitt Agribusiness, Bylong, NSW.
7. Lancefield Brahmans Invitational Sale
Buyers from across Queensland and the Northern Territory made sure of a complete clearance at the Lancefield Brahmans Invitation Sale, held at Gracemere.
The all grey offering topped $70,000 to average $11,635, with all 96 bulls offered being sold.
The top bull, Elrose Gold Dust 22998 (PS), offered by Rodger, Grant and Brooke Jefferis, Elrose stud, Theodore, selling to Roland Everingham, Oak Park stud, Einasleigh.
A number of other bulls sold in the $30,000 to $55,000 price range.
8. Carnarvon Classic Droughtmaster Sale
A record top price and a 97 per cent clearance marked a highly successful fourth Carnarvon Classic bull sale, held at the Rolleston Livestock Selling Complex.
The sale included five Droughtmaster studs and reached a top price of $44,000, also a new high price for the event, which also averaged $10,935.
The sale topper, Calco Honky Cat, was sold by Rebecca Farquhar and her son, Larry, of Calco, Rolleston, to Jenny and Roger Underwood, Eversleigh and Wallace Vale Droughtmaster studs, PIne Hills, Wallumbilla, over the phone.
9. National Braford Sale
The National Braford Sale at Gracemere held ground on its clearance on the previous year, while also increasing its average by slightly more than $1100 to reach $10,922.
All up, 142 bulls were sold from 160 offered for an 88 per cent clearance.
The McNamara family, MCN Brafords, Bell, sold the $45,000 top-priced bull, MCN Iceman, as part of a draft of nine which averaged $22,777.
Iceman sold to Russell and Donna Kenny, Harriett Valley Brafords, Gayndah.
10. Dawson Valley Santa Gertrudis Bull Sale
A NSW buyer's 1100 kilometre trip north to Taroom's Dawson Valley Santa Gertrudis Sale resulted in the $37,5000 sale topper finding a new home south of the border.
This was the top lot from a sale where 58 of 70 bulls were sold to average of $10,784 overall, which included 47 of 54 classified bulls selling to average $10,945 and 11 of 16 herd bulls averaged $10,090.
The top-priced bull, Jamally Utah U44, was knocked down to Dean and Jade Hague, Rockingham Santa stud, Tara Station, Condobolin, NSW.
