The industry has for some time suggested that Consolidated Pastoral Company (CPC) was in the process of selling some of their pastoral holdings across the northern half of Australia.

Speculation is rife that a branch of the Harris Family from Cleveland Agriculture based at Mungindi have purchased “Nockatunga” in the Queensland far South West, long regarded as one of the best bullock fattening properties in that part of the world.

The property sale included cattle and plant.

The sale leaves CPC with 15 remaining stations spread across Queensland, Northern Territory and North Eastern Western Australia, comprising some 4.7 million hectares and an estimated 380,000 cattle run strategically across the remaining properties.

As mentioned in the last column agitation is mounting regarding the implementation of a weighbridge at both Forbes and Dubbo saleyards to monitor all trucks that enter and leave both facilities with regards to their load capacity.

Read previous Bill Tatt column’s:

While all states cannot be legislated for volume loading (as some already are) is beyond me. Agents are now involved in some serious lobbying to get their message across to the relevant authorities.

Graziers, grain growers and trucking companies are just a few of many who should be talking to their associations and lodging their concerns.

If the measures are put in place to the fullest extent my basic understanding is that they will cause widespread hardship and angst across all facets of rural Australia. Local politicians should also be on notice certainly after the Wentworth by-election.

If you do enough to offend your core constituents, in this case the grazing community and their industry partners they will come back and bite you big time.

Dubbo Agents scanned 2460 head on Thursday, October 25 at their regular sale. Numbers are gradually rising with this offering being 900 more than last day.

Also making news:

The yarding was of better quality than some recent sales and this combined with some modest rain events and numbers short in the north led to increased competition.

Grown steers and bullocks were 10c to 15c better reaching 309c/kg. Young feeder steers enjoyed strong gains reaching a high of 315c. Prime heifers to the processor sold in a range of 270c to 301c. All cows saw good gains with best pens topping at 261c. Odd single lots sold slightly better.

There were still plenty of young cattle in plain condition suitable for restockers and these were keenly sought. Best pens of light restocker steers reached 356c/kg with their sisters retailing at a touch over 300c/kg.