Spotlight: Pete Kerr

What regions do you cover and where are you based?
I cover the Mount Gambier and Naracoorte regions in south-east South Australia and I’m based in a little town called Allendale (20 minutes south of Mount Gambier).

Can you take us through the trends you’ve been seeing in both the cattle and sheep markets in your patch over the past year or so?
The cattle market was coming back but seems to have stabilised now. Recent rains and the effect of those in 2018 will be interesting.

The lamb market has been red hot – you’re getting $6/kg or better now, which is unheard of in summer around here. We’re seeing huge numbers of store lambs going back out into the paddock at Naracoorte, with the forward contracts for next year quite attractive. Mount Gambier is starting to reach its peak numbers now in early to mid-summer.

The two markets I cover are quite different. The stock are drawn from a large area to be sold at Naracoorte, so you get a considerable mixture of type and quality, while at Mount Gambier there are good numbers of heavy weight cattle coming forward every week.

What aspect of your role presents the biggest challenges?
Keeping up-to-date with market trends, trying to understand them and then reporting accurately.

What were you doing before you became a Livestock Market Officer?
I was working full time on our family farm – we run a beef cattle and sheep (crossbred lamb) farm, all self-replacing.

When you’re not at the saleyards, how do you keep busy?
I try to keep up with the farm, but having three kids who’ve all started sport keeps me pretty busy. I still try to play a bit of cricket and am involved in the coaching of my daughter’s under 12 cricket team as well.

What’s your favourite red meat meal?
Got to be roast lamb!