TIMES are tough for livestock producers in Australia but this, of course, is nothing new and successive years have thrown out challenges to producers.
Drought, unfavourable trading conditions for export, the high Australian dollar and oversupply are just a few of the myriad of problems that livestock producers have faced.
However there appears to be growing sentiment that a long promised agricultural boom could be emerging.
This may seem like a forlorn hope if you're selling cattle, lambs or sheep at the moment.
Volatile prices and a very dry finish have conspired to drive spring down for most categories of stock.
The markets at this time of year are notoriously fickle.
Who would have guessed that the Dublin cattle sale on Monday would buck a nationwide trend of easing prices with strong demand?
Granted, there was a good selection of lightweight grainfed cattle that enticed butchers to bid up strongly, however demand for the large percentage of indifferently bred, store condition cattle was the real eye opener.
I can only assume these cattle will be going on to stubbles, because that seems to the sole remaining feed source of any substance in the state.
Unfortunately, Tuesday's lamb sale at Dublin encountered a different result.
There were some quality lambs offered and many store condition crossbreds.
For a few of us self-styled experts this was enough to predict that the good lambs would sell strongly, while stores would struggle.
Wrong again, quality trade and heavyweight crossbred lambs rates dropped, while store lambs were eagerly sought after by a raft of agents from the Mid North and Riverland.
Naracoorte market on Tuesday was a busy affair, agents offered about 2000 young cattle and 25,000 sheep and lambs.
Large numbers of heifers failed to inspire any trace of sustained bidding.
The lamb sale fared better than Dublin, with quality lambs selling to solid bidding.
* Full report in Stock Journal, October 23, 2014 issue.
