ON FARM NORTHERN CATTLE SNAPSHOT: Jane Sale Jane and Haydn Sale, Kimberley, WA WHAT COVID‑19 HAS MEANT FOR l OUR BUSINESS:From a marketing perspective, it has significantly affected the value of cattle through our main live export markets of Indonesia and Vietnam. This led to a significant drop in quoted export prices from early April onwards. This is very significant to the profitability of the business and a major concern. We’re monitoring the changes in the market environment daily, Area: as we’re about to hit our peak selling period Approximately 1.6 million for the year. Domestic prices for locally hectares across several slaughtered cattle are also dropping due stations and Indigenous to the challenges faced by processors in sub-leases The Sales remove bulls from their herd during the the current coronavirus-affected economic dry season muster to maintain controlled joining. environment. We were able to move early Enterprise: this year to lock in reasonable slaughter Breeding and backgrounding prices, which was a great hedge against cattle SEASONAL CHALLENGES: We had around average rainfall for the wet this. Our usual practice is to lock in some Livestock: season on the properties we manage. They live export prices early in the year, but with 50,000 Brahman/ received 400–600mm, depending on their the uncertainty of the current environment, Droughtmaster location. The season in general was a good exporters have been reluctant to do this. one, with a wet January and late February From an operations perspective, state Pasture: and March, which has been a welcome border restrictions and shire restrictions Spinifex and annual grasses, relief after the previous year. Temperatures in the Kimberley created severe logistical buffel and curly spinifex on through the start of the dry have been higher challenges to getting our workforce onto river blocks, Mitchell, bundle than average. the station. Many returning workers who bundle and blue grass live in other states had trouble crossing WHAT’S ON MY PLATE: Soil: Our busiest season of the year started in borders. Some did not come due to fear of Desert country is red April with mustering cattle for sale, followed virus infection and some were turned back. sand over clay, and river by breeder musters which will continue until Our workers were arriving as the restrictions country is clay loam and into the end of August. This is the cool time of were being put in place, so we were trying white clay the year, so it’s the best time to handle our to write procedures at the same time as cattle, with less stress for us and the animals. the state government was making the rules, Rainfall: Controlled breeding allows targeted weaning which was very challenging. We’ve now put 350mm–550mm over these months, and we wean all young in place company management plans and (ranges between properties) cattle apart from the new calves. Light safety procedures which have been cleared weaners are fed pellets and hay on what we through government channels so we have Jane Sale been approved as an essential services E: jane.sale@bigpond. call our ‘TLC’ program, to help overcome the weaning process. We remove weaners from primary production business. This meant staff com travel was approved for state border and their mothers to help the breeders maintain South‑East Asian Beef body condition and keep re-joining rates shire crossing. Coronavirus has also meant Market Report as high as possible. At muster, the bulls are a massive adjustment to our workplace seabeefreport.com also removed from the herd to continue this health and safety practices. For example, we controlled joining process. We aim to have have limited entry to our properties to only 80–90% of cattle work completed during essential services, to protect our employees these months and this requires long hours, and business. We set up quarantine quarters commitment from permanent and seasonal on one station, where staff can isolate for staff, and logistical planning to achieve a 14 days. ■ good outcome. As the business grows, we’re trying to attract THREE ACTIVITIES OVER THE more permanent employees, for consistency NEXT TWO MONTHS: in our business and to encourage careers in our industry. > Mustering through to August We’re also continuing our water and fencing > Researching for herd bull purchases development program through the dry in August season to utilise previously unstocked areas > Ongoing water and fencing work. of pastoral leases and allow herd growth. 29