RED DEER, Alta. – A dairy industry in transition has almost made select dairy sales obsolete, said the organizer of the Championship Dairy Showcase here.
Wayne Van Sickle said with many older farmers retiring and new immigrants setting up dairies in Canada, there is little interest in high quality dairy sales.
“The industry is in a change- over. We couldn’t get cattle and we couldn’t get consignors,” said Van Sickle.
Last year’s show was cancelled due to lack of interest.
“It was really tough to get cattle.”
This year, organizers targeted producers and cattle they wanted at the sale, and the show averaged $2,650 on 50 head. The top selling heifer went for $5,400.
“We visited breeders and picked the kind of cattle we knew would sell well at our sale,” said Van Sickle. “We selected what we thought was the top end of the herds.”
Money raised at the sale will go to the Central Alberta Holstein Club, where it will be used to put on judging clinics, seminars and youth and 4-H programs.
