Sales around the country have been adversely affected by the big, long wet, as I like to call it, with different regions bearing the brunt each week. Last week Northland had the umbrellas out but have managed to miss much of the rain this week, much to their relief as it has allowed some drying out. Not so for the top of the East Coast and Bay of Plenty though, who must have done something to annoy the big guy as they have borne the brunt of both weather systems. Other North Island regions and the South Island have not escaped either with most areas also at saturation levels.
And what has this meant for the sales? It has meant that some yards, such as Stortford Lodge, had stock cancelled because of access issues though farmers needed to get heavy stock off sodden ground but no space at the processors has seen a bit of a lift in numbers of nearly finished cattle going to yards such as Canterbury Park and Rangiuru. The double edged sword of the adverse weather means there has been a noted drop in buyer interest as few are keen to add yet more pressure to sodden paddocks. Couple all of that with concerns over Mycoplasma bovis and the cattle markets really are a struggle, putting a bit of a golden glow around sheep.
