THERE is likely to be tension in the air at a meeting to be hosted by the Victorian Farmers Federation (VFF) and NSW Farmers at the Barnawartha Soldiers Memorial Hall on Monday.
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Some producers have slammed the change to post-sale weighing at the NVLX complex at Barnawartha North, something they believe is a result of bullying tactics from buyers.
Others are angry at local agents who they claim failed to protect their clients' interests.
Mudgegonga producer Loretta Carroll said it was accepted practice when selling from the paddock that producers and buyers worked on full weight less 5 per cent.
"But will this now change to 7-8 per cent?" she asked.
"When you consider issues from the processors' point of view, it would seem the only positive for them is they gain the loss of an extra 2-3 per cent, but with all the other negatives you would think it would make more sense to calculate that difference in their price, rather than calculating their purchase on a hunch.
"I guess the buyers will price accordingly to allow for error in judgement, which could indicate a further negative adjustment to the price. "
Ms Carroll said farmers buying cattle out of the fat market would be disadvantaged by not knowing the weight of cattle, and this might encourage them to buy only out of store markets, taking further competition out of the market.
"There were only 1200 head (1235 was the official figure) at the market today (Tuesday) which started at 8am, the weighing of cattle did not start until 9.10am and they didn't finish weighing until 2pm.
"There were still good numbers of cattle to be loaded at 4.20pm."
But other players favoured the new system at the saleyards on Tuesday.
"There's just too much negativity and whingeing," one buyer-producer said.
"A lot of sales around the country are already post-sale weighing.
"The producer didn't know the price he was going to get six months ago so six hours shouldn't make a difference. And just look how contented the cattle look."
Producers Gordon and Maree Paton, from the Mitta Valley, were happy with the price they got for their 45 cattle but were less impressed by the wait to know their return.
"When you left the old yards you knew what your cattle had made," Mrs Paton said.
"That's a disappointment but I will say that the cattle presented very well.
"The law of averages said they will lose 5 per cent of their body weight (from loading in the paddock until weighed) during their curfew; all cattle do that.
"Why do we have to have a 9pm curfew and wait longer for the cattle to be weighed?"
Monday's meeting will start at 12.30pm.