Updates on happenings around the Troy Saleyards (Dubbo Regional Livestock Markets) include the planting of some 200 new trees to aid the wellbeing of livestock under our care. These new belts of trees when fully developed will also provide protection from the winds that sometimes blow across the complex.

Over the Easter sale break a state of the art ramp (stock grid) was installed at the entrance to the saleyard facility.

This ramp in conjunction with the recently constructed security fence will improve livestock containment within the selling centre greatly. Dubbo City Council has also secured a loan of $830 000.00 from infrastructure NSW to build a new four bay truck wash.

Council is contributing some $450 000.00 to this project. Dubbo agents for today’s sale have drawn for 9823 head and as yet scanning has not finished.

A quick delve into the archives suggest that on the 28th November 2013 we had a draw in excess of 10,000 head, finally ended up selling 8484 cattle.

The feeling is that we will not beat this figure today. Final figured scanned look like being a total just touching 8000 head.

Many of the skeptics amongst rural industry watchers struggled with the concept of the AA Co. building an abattoir just south of Darwin.

The company has recently announced that the Livingstone Beef processing facility is struggling and that they may report a loss between 30 and 40 million dollars due in part to this decline in performance and other major write – downs particularly in their beef inventory.

Doubters of the original project thought lack of permanent skilled staff, inferior infrastructure such as all-weather loads and the threat posed by the monsoon season all could and would cause difficulties for the shed. When last noted shares had fallen by 8.2 per cent to $1.12/unit.

Sheep and lamb numbers were substantial again last week with agents yarding in excess of 42,000 head.  Not sure what the top price was for lambs, but Simon and Pip Archer of Merrygoen saw their top pen of 200 cross lambs sell for $214.00 per head.

There were many very strong sales recorded in both the sheep and lamb section. Early numbers for next Monday would appear to be somewhat less.

Life membership of an organisation is quite often bestowed on a person at the end of their gig and it shows appreciation for a great many years of service to a cause.

Not quite the case with Angus Barlow. One of the leading Auctioneers here at Troy who recently received the honour from Dubbo Poultry Club.

Angus still a relatively young man has achieved a lot for the club in a short time. He and a small core of supporters initiated the club and supported the club through the early days.

One of his major contributions has been the initiation of the charity auction for West haven, being that organisations major fund raiser for the year.

Over several years this Poultry auction has proved a huge success drawing large crowds and many entries from interstate. He and Brett Hewitt from Gunnedah also do the big Poultry Auction in Sydney and elsewhere.