It was another record breaking month for several stud bull vendors, with September seeing seven records broken during stud bull sales interfaced with AuctionsPlus across the country. A range of breeds joined in on the fun, with Charolais, Santa Gertrudis, Ultrablack, Senepol and Red Angus all setting Australian breed records. A total of 5,822 bulls were offered on the AuctionsPlus platform, with 5,454 selling, for a 94% clearance and average price of $14,834/head – 16% higher than September 2021.
There was a huge surge in Santa Gertrudis sales during September, with 1,245 out of 1,274 bulls selling to an average price of $16,806/head. The overall number of bulls sold on AuctionsPlus increased 20% year-on-year, while Composite, Angus and Charolais experienced the highest growth in numbers, increasing 161%, 47% and 41% respectively. The range of breeds offered on AuctionsPlus also increased, with some of the first Belgian Blue, Fleckvieh, Red Brangus and South Devon bulls to be offered.
Wagyu took out the top average for the month, with 80 bulls selling to a 100% clearance for an average price of $19,350/head. Charolais and Shorthorn were close behind averaging $18,927 and $18,134/head respectively (Figure 1). Ultrablack and Shorthorn also made it into the 100% clearance club.
It wasn’t just the big boys breaking records in September. Stud females also hit the headlines at the Circle 8 Bulls 30th Anniversary Bull and Females Sale on 8th September, when lot 74, Circle 8 Rosebud S669 broke the record for an unjoined Angus heifer – selling for an eye-watering $140,000. The sale was highly commended by industry members for offering the entire drop of 2021-born ‘S’ heifers and facilitating true price-discovery for stud females. This effort was rewarded with a new Angus female sale average record of $20,950/head.