Strong demand for cattle, a growing presence in the Murgon saleyards and the upcoming Elders Murgon Weaner Sale are highlighting the momentum building for Elders in the South Burnett. When you speak with Elders Murgon Stock Agent Mitch Jackson, it doesn’t take long to realise how passionate he is about cattle, the land and the people who work it.
Growing up on a cattle property, Mitch says his love for livestock started early.
“I fell in love with horses, cattle, dogs, all of the above,” he said.
Although he drifted away from the industry for a time as a teenager, that connection eventually pulled him back. Mitch first pursued a farrier apprenticeship, but as he began building cattle numbers of his own and doing private deals with feedlots, a new career path began to emerge.
“As I started building a few cattle numbers myself and doing deals with feedlots, I realised it was something I wanted to do more of,” he said.
“I realised what I was doing privately could turn into a career with more longevity than being a farrier. So at 26 I started pursuing opportunities to build on my experience in the cattle industry.”
Mitch began working two days a week with TopX in Murgon, he then transitioned into a full-time position within the Sullivan livestock team at Gympie. Four years later he joined the Elders Murgon team.
Since then, the Elders Murgon livestock business has grown steadily, expanding from primarily paddock sales into a broader livestock marketing offering.
“We started mainly doing paddock sales; paddock to paddock, paddock to feedlot,” Mitch said. “As the business has grown, we’ve moved into more yard sales as well.”
That expansion includes a regular presence in the Murgon saleyards, running fortnightly store and fat cattle sales. According to Mitch, the local cattle market has been performing strongly.
“The cattle job is on fire,” he said.
“It’s been a great time for us to step into that saleyard environment. Obviously rain and demand have played a big part, but we like to think we’re adding value for our clients by finding the right buyers.”
Buyer demand has remained strong through the Murgon yards, even as recent rainfall has tightened numbers slightly.
“We started the year with a good steady flow of numbers and with the recent rain they might tighten up for a couple of weeks,” Mitch said. “But demand has been strong throughout, and once the ground dries up a bit we’ll probably see more numbers flow again.”
That growing saleyard presence led to the launch of the Elders Murgon Weaner Sale, which returns for its second year on 17 April 2026. The inaugural sale in 2025 was a significant milestone for the team.
“It went really well. There was an enormous effort from the Elders network to get behind it.” Mitch said.
The sale also marked Elders’ return to the Murgon saleyards after a long absence.
“I don’t think Elders had been present in a saleyard environment here for at least 15 years before that.”
Support came from across the network, with orders placed by agents and clients as far afield as Dalby and Roma.
A key feature of the sale is its pre-weighed weaner format, something unique in the district.
“No one else is doing a pre-weighed weaner sale in this area,” Mitch said.
“It adds something a bit different and buyers really enjoyed it. Vendors will come to enjoy it too because weighing early can help minimise stress and overall weight loss.”
With the 2026 sale approaching, Mitch and the team are focused on building on last year’s success.
“We’ll run with the same playbook,” he said.
“Every year you want to make it bigger and better, so we’re pushing further to find buyers further afield while continuing to support our local buyers. At the end of the day, the biggest thing is getting the best outcome for our clients.”
Mitch says vendors should keep several trends in mind when preparing cattle for sale, particularly the shift toward slightly heavier weaners.
“Buyer’s trends and demands have probably moved away from that really light weaner to more of that 250 to 320kg weaner,” he said.
“They’re a bit older, more mature and transition onto grass or oats much easier.”
Proper preparation is also key.
“That pre-treatment is integral, especially for buyers sending cattle west into clean country,” Mitch said. “Having cattle ready to move quickly through the yards and into clean country within a couple of days makes a big difference.”
Located close to the coast, the Murgon district also attracts weaners from Gympie and coastal areas, offering strong-performing cattle.
“We draw a lot of weaners from the coast,” Mitch said. “If you take those weaners out west onto Downs country or into Central Queensland, the weight gain can be huge – they really perform.”
The pre-weighed format also gives confidence to both buyers and vendors.
“Buyers know exactly what weight they’re buying, so they can bid right up to their limit, and vendors know they’re getting every last bid because buyers aren’t second-guessing the weight.”
For Mitch, however, the most rewarding part of the job remains the people.
“I love driving into a new vendor’s farm or catching up with long term clients and seeing their cattle and looking over the calves with fresh genetics, from bulls we picked out and acquired two years ago” he said.
“The Murgon community is such a good old-fashioned community. I’m a little bit old-fashioned myself, so I think I am a good fit for the district.”
The Elders Murgon Weaner Sale will be held on 17 April 2026 at the Murgon Saleyards, with vendors and buyers encouraged to contact the Elders Murgon livestock team for further details.
