Take stock of the season by having an honest discussion with your agent | Rural Notebook

Country to lease or agist on is hard to find and expensive, hay and grain are now at full blown drought prices and prices for sheep, lambs and cattle are very disappointing.

A quick look at cattle offerings on AuctionsPlus last week showed a sea of "no bids", which means that producers who really intend to sell must use the saleyard option.

At this point, it's imperative to discuss plans and markets with your stock agent as costs are incurred at the saleyards even when no sale is achieved.

MUTTON markets are at their lowest ebb for probably 15 years, but prices for prime and heavy lambs may have reached their floor level and small rises have occurred in some markets.

Not so for light or dry crossbred and Merino lambs that have very little value as few traders plan to fatten lambs on expensive grain or pellets.

The offer by respected farmer/contractor Hilton Barrett at Wellington to take a gift of up to 50,000 sheep is a real sign of the times.

His plan is to relieve sheep owners of the option of shooting or selling at a loss the surplus sheep that they can't feed at home.

The collapse of livestock markets happened just as forecasts of dry weather coincided with farm stocking rates catching up to buyer demand.

RECENT RURAL NOTEBOOK COLUMNS:

SPECULATION on values that may be established at the coming Hay Merino Ewe Sale are of real interest.

This event is held each September and is regarded as a barometer for ewe sales during spring.

A rule of thumb has long been that the value of a young Merino ewe will be roughly double the mutton value of a heavy cast for age Merino ewe.

This year these old ewes are topping at about $50 and their saleyard price is 128c/kg carcase weight.

Young ewes at the Hay feature sale reached $300 each at sales in 2021/22.

This year's ewes should be great buying for those who can hold them.

OUR national economy has tightened considerably and every week we see another building contractor being forced to close down after being caught up with rising prices for building products.

In the rush towards net zero emissions, our leaders seem to have lost sight of the cost for energy that largely relies on the burning of fossil fuels.

Builders must be caught with fixed price contracts that were signed in good faith by both parties before rampant inflation put real strain on so many building necessities.

In the rural corner, we saw rapid increases on many inputs, only to see the near collapse in livestock and fibre values that is putting pressure on bottom lines in the majority of rural businesses.

Shoulders to the grindstone is the order of the day and breeders who are in the game for the long run will continue to use the very best genetics they can afford and be ready when the wheel turns.

SINCERE sympathy is offered to Jan and the Inwood family on the passing of Jack Inwood.

He is remembered as co-owner of the highly regarded Inwood Motors in William Street, a handy cricketer with a lovely square cut and a great friend.

Jack and Jan raised their family in Bathurst and were always busy in community activities.

CONGRATULATIONS are in order for Melva and Ted Green, lifelong Bathurst residents who are celebrating their 67th wedding anniversary.

I know that their many friends in Bathurst and district will join me in saying that we are proud of your achievement.

THERE was a much more positive vibe for week 11 of Australian wool sales and its offering of 39,000 bales.

The EMI (Eastern Market Indicator) lifted 1.9 per cent in Australian dollar terms and two per cent in US dollar rates.

The Australian dollar looks like it has stabilised at the moment, giving those end users who trade in US dollars the confidence to buy without fear of a volatile Australian dollar/US dollar rate.

Europe and the subcontinent were very active, pushing the Chinese operators to pay more for your wool.

In the end, the larger Chinese topmakers stepped aside and only took wool at their price.

All indicators were in the green. The 17.5 micron and broader were 20-40c dearer and it was awesome to see the crossbreds get 20-30c dearer.

All in all, it was a positive week for your wool market.

Follow-on business is now what is required.

The Nanjing wool conference is being conducted in China for the first time since COVID, so we hope for follow-up business and this trend to continue.

THE dentist and his wife were in the airport lounge when he recognised a patient but couldn't place him.

"Lean right back and look at me," he said.

She blushed and said: "Oh my; Mr. Harrison."

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OUR farmer's wife annoyed the doctors at the Base.

She had little notes for her surgeon: take your time; no rush; scrub your hands.

She was returned from the surgery with a doctor's note: "Anyone seen my watch?"