LMAC stocks NLS for weekend

Northern Livestock Sales was the place to be last weekend as they hosted the Livestock Markets Association of Canada’s annual convention and auctioneer championship. Taylor Weaver Meridian Source

 

It was an exciting weekend at Northern Livestock Sales as the Livestock Markets Association of Canada (LMAC) held its annual convention.

The weekend was filled with panel discussions, public speakers, banquets, and of course, the annual auctioneering championships.

Roughly 250 attendees and 37 auctioneers from across Canada moved the herd to Lloydminster for the convention, and through the auctioneering championships, sold roughly 3,500 head of cattle. 

“The quality of the cattle here is outstanding. It’s above average, and they’re being rewarded with really good prices; the cattle today are bringing in 10 to 12 cents over the market price,” said Rick Wright, executive administrator of the LMAC. 

“All these people from across Canada have come here due to how good the livestock is around Lloydminster.

“There’s a lot of legitimate ranch cattle here, they’re not hobby farms like we see in some of the other provinces.”

The LMAC’s annual convention is held in a different province each year and this was the first time it was held in the Border City.

“Northern Livestock Sales are important members of LMAC, and the Brooks family have done a great job of reviving the market here in Lloydminster,” said Wright. 

“I’ve been in the business for 43 years and there were a number of years where this wasn’t a very popular market or place to go, but since they’ve taken it over it’s become a large-volume and a very respected market.

“For us to come to Lloydminster was recognition of the Brooks’ success. We also don’t go to a place that’s not good, so it was a good fit for both of us.”

Aside from being a good thing for the local cattle industry, the convention brought some economic spinoff to Lloyd.

“We filled the entire Border Inn and Suites for the weekend,” said Wright. “Every room they had was taken by LMAC conventioneers, and there were some other hotels for the overflow.”

Wright also noted one of the LMAC’s main goals is to teach the public about true price discovery.

“When you have all these buyers supporting the market and you have an auction, that’s true price discovery,” he said. “We have no idea how high prices are going to go until we have the auction, and today for the producers selling in this sale, I can’t see why every producer won’t be excited.”

The LMAC convention won’t return to Saskatchewan for another five years. The host market has yet to be determined.

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