While the start of 2023 has seen the softening of commercial goat prices as processors prioritise the backlog of lambs still hitting the market, demand for quality bucks is still high, highlighting the long-term confidence in the industry.
This year’s annual Malleevale Contender Meat Goats sale, interfaced with AuctionsPlus on Friday 10th February, highlights this confidence with the sale average lifting 20% on last year to average $2,719, selling to a 98% clearance.
After being held as an online only sale last year, this year’s sale returned on property to “Malleevale” Condobolin, NSW, with online bidders from Western Australia, Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia, Queensland, and New South Wales logging into the sale. Online activity was strong throughout the sale with 154 users logged in to the auction and 14 bidders active across 79% of the offering, resulting in 47% of lots (23) sold to online buyers.
Reaching over $6,000 twice throughout the sale, Lot 35 was a stand-out, returning the top price of $6,200, secured online by a Queensland buyer. Another sale highlight was Lot 15 – selling for $6,100 to an online buyer from Western Australia.
Malleevale Buck - Lot 35
Forbes Livestock agent Samm Mackay attributed “the quality of the bucks and their year-on-year improvement to repeat purchasers lining up to buy them every year, with the sale exceeding lots of expectations.”
To view the full sale catalogue, click here.