Australia-Calf sales start on New Years Day.

AUSTRALIA.

WEANER SALES BEGAN ON NEW YEARS DAY.

Woodonga kicked off the weaner sales for 2009, with an excellent yarding and a hand-full of buyers from the far north.

The Taxi fare on cattle from the Victorian border to Queensland is around AU$50 per head, as you cannot put to many on the trucks with the 2000 kilometer journey in the Australian summer heat.

Roma saleyards handled 408,827 cattle for the year of 2008, and enjoyed a brisk trade throughout the year, despite the global economic downturn. In the month of July 50,000 cattle went through the saleyards.

There were 150,000 cattle traded through the auction plus system.

The buoyant live trade from Townsville and Darwin, has given the northern cattle trade an enormous boost this year.