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Business
A bull market for the studs
SIMON McGUIRE
STUDS across the state are seeing
increased prices for their bulls following the 昀椀rst of the autumn sales.
Nutrien stud stock specialist Cooper Lamprey said that prices had
improved.
“But that’s off the back of the market being solid for processing cattle.”
Mr Lamprey said Tasmanian studs
were in a good position.
“We’re starting to get a bit of rain
now, so hopefully that turns into
something good and positive,” he
said.
“They are all feeling pretty good
after the sale results, which gives
them a bit more con昀椀dence in going
to spend more money on genetics and
moving forward.
“It’s also been good to see strong
support from both Tasmanian and
interstate buyers.”
Tolivar Angus’s autumn sale price
averaged $7111, with its top bull
fetching $19,000.
Stud principal Colin Hill said that
ABOVE: The $19,000
top-priced bull by Tolivar
Angus, Lulworth, with
Colin Hill and Hayden
Harper, Tolivar Angus,
and Nutrien Stud Stock
Tasmania agent Cooper
Lamprey.
RIGHT: Warren Johnston,
Nutrien, Quaterway stud
principal Trevor Hall and
Craig Steel, Ashwood Ag
Winnaleah with their
top-priced bull.
the bull was sold to Granite Ridge
Angus in South Australia.
“I’m really privileged that they
bought this bull because he’s got brilliant data,” Mr Hill said.
“To have a stud that sells bulls for
up to $235,000 buy your bull to use in
their own stud is quite a compliment.”
Meanwhile, Cluden Newry saw all
its 58 bulls on offer sell for an average
price of $12,017.
Its top bull was sold for $80,000.
“The average was down, but we had
a bit of an outlier last year with the
top-selling bull dragging it up a fair
bit,” Cluden Newry’s Jock Hughes
said.
“The total clearance was up from
previous years.”
That outlier from 2025 was Uppercut U15, which sold for $275,000 – a
Tasmanian record for an Angus bull.
“That resulted in more interest and
meant more people came to have a
look at the sales.
“I think that improved trading conditions commercially, like higher beef
prices, have translated to better bull
prices.”
At the Quarterway sale, the toppriced bull sold for $14,000, with an
overall average price of $7341.
“I think the industry’s in pretty good
shape,” Quarterway stud principal
Trevor Hall said. “We’ve just had a
pretty tough summer down this neck
of the woods.
“We just need Mother Nature to
give us some rain and then I think
we’ll be on 昀椀re again.”
Landfall Angus saw all but one
of its 210 bulls sell for an average
$12,602, with the top price of $44,000
paid by Calview Pastoral at Laceby.
Premium equipment boost on hand
TASMANIAN farmers, particularly
through the Midlands and North
West, are set to have access to
a range of premium agricultural
equipment and product support
through local dealer, Gaffney
Machinery.
Based at Longford and Somerset,
Gaffney Machinery has been
appointed dealer in the regions for
a range of equipment including
AgriSpread fertiliser and muck
spreaders, Gregoire-Besson tillage
equipment, Highline hay products
and rock pickers, Equalizer seeding
systems, Geringhoff header fronts
and Elmer’s chaser bins, all
distributed nationally by Waringa
Distribution.
Cobie Walker, General Manager
of Gaffney Machinery, which is
part of the Agriculture Equipment
Holdings (AEH) dealer network and
will celebrate 50 years as a New
Holland dealership next year, said
the equipment would add to and
enhance the business’s product line-
Gaffney
Machinery
General
Manager Cobie
Walker, Waringa
Distribution
General
Manager Sam
Abbott and
Agriculture
Equipment
Holdings (AEH)
Chief Operating
Of昀椀cer David
Thompson.
up for producers.
“With products like the
AgriSpreader spreaders and
Gregoire-Besson ploughs, we
know they are highly regarded
machines that are quality built and
are well ‘spec’d’,” said Cobie, who
昀椀rst started work with Gaffney
Machinery as a young apprentice.
“We know the products have
everything we need and we will be
looking at training with our sales
staff at Longford and Somerset to
ensure farmers have all the support
and backup, which is critically
important.
“We get inquiries for ploughs and
the Gregoire-Besson product will
add to the line-up now. It will have
strong appeal to farmers right along
the North West coast, but also down
at Longford.
“It will suit dairying, beef, sheep
and cropping regions in the North
West, including good red cropping
country around the Sassafras area,
as well as irrigated cereal and
vegetable cropping land through the
Midlands.”
The Gregoire-Besson products
are renowned for reliability,
versatility and high-level
performance, and include speed
tillers, semi-mounted ploughs,
disc harrows, the Discordon OnePass Finisher and the Helios Duo
mounted sub-soiler.
Sam Abbott, General Manager
with Waringa Distribution, said
a number of machines from the
different product brands already
were operating in Tasmania, and
the partnership with Gaffney
Machinery would now strengthen
the supply and support for all
brands across the State.
“With the machines already
working in the region, we have
been looking to increase our
presence there and we have
developed a good relationship
with Gaffney Machinery, which
has a strong history with the local
farming industry,” Sam said.
Gaffney Machinery and Waringa
Distribution plan to further
introduce Tasmanian farmers to the
equipment range at the upcoming
Agfest 昀椀eld days from May 7-9
at Carrick, near Launceston.
They are also looking to hold
paddock demonstrations initially of
AgriSpread and Gregoire-Besson
machines for farmers.
Cobie said despite a dry winter
followed by wet spring last year
that had delayed hay and silage
operations, conditions were
looking good heading into the new
season and growers would shortly
be preparing lands with tillage
equipment.
TASMANIAN COUNTRY Friday, March 27, 2026 21
