Average and top price both rise at Kandanga Valley bull sale
Charolais bulls were the stand-outs at the 2025 Kandanga Valley stud sale, where fierce bidding from repeat buyers delivered an average price up on 2024 by about $1400.
More than 100 people packed the stands at John and Roz Mercer's Upper Kandanga property, Warravale, on July 26 for the 22nd annual sale.
Bidders attended in person and online from local areas, Clermont, Mackay, Beaudesert, Casino, NSW, Dalby, Roma and as far west as Augathella.
In total, 92 lots of 101 sold through the ring for a clearance rate of 91.1 per cent, a gross sale value of $892,000, and an average price of $9696 per head.
All key indicators were up on 2024, when the Mercer bulls achieved an 84pc clearance and $8315 average.
Lance Taylor of Mundubbera bought Kandanga Valley Urbenville for the top price of $28,000, which was $5000 more than Greg and Shirley Callander paid for the top bull in 2024 ($23,000).
Mr Taylor said it was the third time he had bought the top bull at Kandanga Valley.
"I have bought a bull by the same sire [Allednaw Price] before, and he did a fantastic job," Mr Taylor said.
"Alongside the bloodlines and how he looked, Urbenville had the best data in my opinion.
"He will be naturally joined with Santa Gertrudis and Braford cows at home."
The top bull was one of the younger lots on the catalogue at 21 months.
He was polled, weighed 810 kilograms, had a P8 fat measurement of 10 millimetres, rib fat of 8mm, eye muscle area of 137 square centimetres and intramuscular fat at 5.5 per cent.
Mr Mercer said he had been chasing the sire's bloodlines from the Allednaw Charolais stud in Kerang, Victoria, for a number of years before securing Allednaw Price.
"Urbenville had good early growth, a strong masculine polled head, he is structurally tidy and runs freely on a bit more leg," Mr Mercer said.
"His dam, Kandanga Valley Maleesa, is one of our 500 big, upright Charolais cows."
"Our Charolais bulls sold very well;... we offered the Charbrays at a younger age."
Overall, 22 of the 56 Charolais bulls [39pc] offered sold above the average price, compared to 12 of the 45 Charbray bulls [26.7pc].
Top-bull buyers in 2024, Greg and Shirley Callander of Colston Park, Sarina, took home 11 Charbrays in 2025 for an average price of $10,818.
"We have been buying bulls from the Mercers for a long time, and we are happy with the results," Mr Callander said.
"We will put the younger bulls we have picked up today out with our Charbray females in July, depending on the weather."
"We won't need other bulls for a while."
Nutrien agent Dane Pearce said strong competition from western Charolais buyers contributed to the pleasing result.
- Agents: Nutrien, Shepherdson and Boyd, AuctionsPlus.
