The NR Times Rural News
July 28, 2022
40 RURAL NEWS
Recent Cattle Market Reports CASINO NRLX Market Report Week Ending Friday 22 July Agents yarded a total of 1,026 head at the Northern Rivers Livestock Exchange regular prime sale on Wednesday 20 July. Young cattle continued to be in the largest numbers, while the number of cows penned was not as high as the previous week. The panel of export buyers in attendance was similar to previous weeks, and the usual restocker feeder and trade buyers were present and operating. Prices generally could not maintain the levels of the previous sale with reductions across most classes. Cow prices saw a drop this week averaging 259c/kg and reaching a top price of 302c/kg. Heifer prices were also back with lighter stock up to
250kg averaging 407c/kg and topping their category at 480c/kg. Heavier heifers over 250kg averaged 351c/kg and reached a top of 446c/kg. Bull prices held firm this week with 31 head sold averaging 273c/kg and 652kg. Steers were considerably cheaper with lighter steers up to 250kg averaging 487c/kg and reaching a top price of 590c/kg. Heavier steers over 250kg averaged 422c/kg and topped their market at 530c/kg. A small number of bullocks sold on the day averaged 312c/kg. As with most other categories, vealer prices took a tumble this week with lighter vealer up to 250kg averaging 456c/kg and reaching a top of 600c/kg. Heavier vealer over 250kg averaged 441c/kg with a top price of 532c/kg. George & Fuhrmann held a store sale at the NRLX on Monday 18 July with 575 head going under the hammer.
Steers topped their category at 686c/kg and averaged 589c/kg and 216kg whilst heifers reached a top of 538c/kg and averaged 450c/kg and 206kg. Cows reached a top price of $1,320 whilst Cows & Calves topped their market at $1,500. Ian Weir & Son held a store sale at the NRLX on Friday 22 July with 660 head going under the hammer. Steers topped their category at 620c/kg and averaged 467c/kg and 222kg whilst heifers reached a top of 486c/kg and averaged 417c/kg and 209kg. Cows reached a top price of $2,350 whilst Cows & Calves topped their market at $2,850. This Saturday 30 July, the annual Casino All Breeds Bull & Sale will be held at the NRLX with 150 bulls and 17 registered females to be offered on the day. After two years of Covid limiting entry, this year will be a big one with everyone welcome so bring the family along for a day at the saleyards. The sale will also be live streamed via StockLive for those unable to attend.
Scientists achieve new ammonia breakthrough Monash scientists have achieved a new breakthrough in their quest to develop a more sustainable ammonia production process. Ammonia is the source of most of the modern world’s fertilisers; but these are usually made from natural gas and its production releases large amounts of greenhouse gas emissions. Published last week in the journal Nature,
lead researcher Dr Hoang-Long Du, from the Monash University School of Chemistry and team leaders Dr Alexandr Simonov and Professor Doug MacFarlane report that they can achieve almost complete selectivity for the conversion of nitrogen, from the air around us, and renewable electricity into ammonia at an unprecedented rate. The research developed
135 SELECTION LANE, WATERVIEW HEIGHTS $3,000,000 - $3,300,000 Unquestionably one of the area's most distinguished landholdings, this property totals 115 acres of fertile, pasture-improved country. Poised at the top of the aptly named Selection Lane, the expansive & luxurious fourbedroom homestead delights in remarkable views across the Clarence Valley. The homestead is meticulously presented & ideal for entertaining on a grand scale with a series of formal & casual living spaces & established grounds. Pasture improvement has been a real focus & this property would lend itself to carrying trade steers, cows & calves, or stud cattle or horses. There is an established machinery shed and internal fences divide the property into several paddocks. 15 minutes to Grafton, 1 hour to Yamba & Coffs Harbour, 3 hours to the Gold Coast, 4 hours to Tamworth and 6.5hours to Sydney. Contact: JoJo Newby of Farrell McCrohon Stock & Station Agents, Grafton on 0417 690 637 or Tom Jamieson of Sydney Sotheby’s International Realty on 0425 364 630 to discuss.
a unique electrolyte that produces a highperformance layer on the operating electrode to support the reaction that converts nitrogen into ammonia. The price of fertilisers has more than doubled in recent years in part because of increases in natural gas prices, placing many farmers under severe strain. Dr Simonov said a process for the carbonfree production of
fertilisers using renewable energy had been known for some time but it was not very selective. “Typically, a significant portion, sometimes as large as half of the electricity was used in making other unwanted compounds, making the process impractical,” Dr Simonov said. “Our new discovery shows how ammonia can be made with complete selectivity.”
Co-leader in the work, Professor Doug MacFarlane, said that reaching 100% selectivity for ammonia was a vital step in making the process industrially practical. “This discovery builds on years of work in our group understanding the fundamental chemistry underpinning the process,” Professor MacFarlane said. Dr Du said another important feature of the
new electrolyte was the high stability it provided to the process. “Since the electricity is exclusively used for the nitrogen to ammonia reaction, no degradation processes can occur and the process can operate stably on a long timescale,” Dr Du said. Monash has spun off a company, Jupiter Ionics, which is scaling up the process discovered by the research team.
Stock Comment & Property of the Week Only a smaller number of cattle on offer at the Grafton for the Store Sale 21st July 2022. As we are seeing the market get tougher on some of the store cattle. Bullocks sold to a top of 370¢/kg & weaner steers still holding in with most sales 560¢/kg - 620¢/kg topping at 640¢/kg. Better end of the heifers sold well to top at 542¢/kg, with the light end of weaner heifers most affected. Next Store sale will be Thursday 11th August and our next Fat Sale 26th July 2022
Next Grafton Store Cattle Sale Thursday 11th August starting at 9am
JoJo Newby: 0417 690 637 / David Farrell: 0437 448 455 / Ben Clark: 0477 123 770 / Office: 02)6642 5200 / www.farrellmccrohon.com.au / PO Box 417 Grafton
