ALBURY-WODONGA Stock Agents Association president Trevor Parker has robustly defended his organisation and its members against claims it failed to look after their clients during the controversy at the NVLX saleyards.
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Some producers are claiming the agents capitulated to pressure from buyers to change from a pre-sale weighing system to a post-sale one and failed to consult them.
But Mr Parker said he was comfortable with the decision to switch to post-sale weighing.
“We took the lead and made a decision,” he said.
“Our aim was to protect the integrity of the saleyards and ensure our clients had maximum competition for their livestock.”
Mr Parker said when the agents “got wind that there was trouble afoot” on Friday, February 13 they had an urgent meeting, talked with the saleyard operators and contacted what buyers they could.
“Some said they wouldn’t be coming, some were non-committal and others said they would make their own decision,” he said.
“To suggest we had time to get around to all the producers is farcical.
“There are a lot of comments being made from all different angles and some of it is misinformed.
“Some people just want to spoil for a fight and that doesn’t achieve any sort of a result.”
Mr Parker asked what instructions could the producers give to alleviate the situation.
“The only other option was to stick with pre-sale weighing, and that would have led to a protracted stand-off, which would have had detrimental effects on the cattle mark and producer’s returns,” he said.
“No one likes an ultimatum, but we had no choice.
“And I’m not going to respond to people who have not thought this through or not considered the ramifications of operating with pre-sale.”
Mr Parker said all major sale centres to the north, except Wagga, and those in Victoria, except Wangaratta, operated on a post-sale weight system.
He also rejected outright claims that the new system would put cattle under more stress than in the yards in Bandiana and weighed prior to sale.
“Any stock person who walked through the saleyards on Tuesday would have noticed how content the cattle looked,” he said.
“The 9pm curfew and 8am sale start at Barnawartha means, in reality, the cattle are no worse off with post-sale weighing.”