ROBERTS Ltd’s Powranna sale yards held its first prime cattle sale this week.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Livestock manager Warren Johnston described the day as ‘‘a good start for the new complex, a really good day’’.
‘‘We had about 150 trade and grown cattle and 3500 sheep and lambs — the sheep and lamb market has come back a bit nationally over the last week and our market was in line with that, but it was still a good solid day,’’ Mr Johnston said.
''From a buyer's point of view, I don't think there was anyone who had any difficulties with the complex, they reckon it's a great facility - the worst thing I heard was that it should have happened 20 years ago.''
Mr Johnston said that although Powranna was a Roberts Ltd complex, the company was open to outside interests conducting sales there.
Four generations of the Jones family were among those attending the sale.
Barbara Jones, of Campbell Town, sons Colin and Tony, daughters-in-law Suzie and granddaughter Stephanie, all of Longford, were impressed with the facility and said that the day seemed to go well.
‘‘It’s a fantastic facility and easier for us to get to than Killafaddy,’’ Mr Jones said.
Evandale’s Rod Summers was also there and equally impressed.
‘‘I just came along for a look,’’ Mr Summers said.
‘‘It’s a far cry from when I first started at Killafaddy, in 1957, helping to pen sheep for independent agent Bob Bird — he used to give me two shillings (20¢) a day and I’d ride my Malvern Star bike from St Leonards every Tuesday during the school holidays.
‘‘As a meat buyer for about 30 years, I’ve spent a lot of time in various sale yards and it’s nice to come and have a look at something that’s state-of-the-art.
‘‘It’s much more animal friendly — the sawdust on the floor means that the cattle are not struggling to get a footing and as a result, they took the crowd around them in their stride,’’ Mr Summers said.