Widespread but variable rain has fallen over NSW in recent days with some of the best falls recorded in regions south and south west of Narromine and Trangie.
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Winter crop sowing is now in full swing with many farmers sowing their crop dry or chasing limited moisture profiles.
Markets at Dubbo have been buoyant across the board with lambs, sheep, goats and cattle selling to exceptional competition in recent sales.
Agents drew for 3600 head for the prime cattle sale on May 24, an exceptionally strong number when rainfall patterns are considered.
After a break of two years Oman in the Middle East’s Gulf Region has taken delivery of 10,000 head of Merino cross lambs at the Mawashi Oman Feedlot, a facility that currently has a capacity of 50,000 head.
Western Australian live exporters Wellard Limited put this deal together and expect to deliver more live sheep this calendar year.
Mawashi Oman also owns of two of the more modern processing plants in the country. The company has plans to expand their operations and is working closely with technical people to increase knowledge of husbandry, nutrition and animal welfare to comply with standards demanded by suppliers.
A spokesman for Wellard Limited said the company had appointed a new Middle East marketing manager to drive its re-alignment with this part of the global meat trade.
His role will obviously be to expand the live trade and secure markets for chilled and frozen lamb and sheep meats produced by the Wellard Limited subsidy, Beaufort River Meats.
Northern export processors are still confident their supply numbers will hold up until the latter half of June.
After that point in the year cattle numbers threaten to become very restricted and even the sell-off after the end of the financial year looks to be short-lived.
Rain in parts of far south west Queensland has also seen the cancellation of some consignments.
The one redeeming factor for the processor is the cheap prices being paid for much of the mainstream grain they have purchased.
The release of feedlot figures due any time now should show the cattle on feed (COF) will greatly exceed the numbers on feed in previous quarters.
This will allow operators to level out the days and weeks when numbers from the physical markets will trend down.
Those companies with integrated operations from backgrounding, feedlotting and slaughterhouses will possibly ride out the storm better than some others.
Sheep and lambs were once again solid at Dubbo last week and there seems to be no end in sight. All grades, at worst, were fully firm with most pens showing solid gains.
Another beef scandal appears to be erupting in Brazil with accusations of corruption and bribery being directed at the highest level of government. This case apparently has the legs to go much further.