World Agriculture Directory: the home of the world's largest agriculture database. Fastest way to find events, farms and agribusiness that suit your needs. Agriculture Event Directory

Cattlemen Hall of FameBeef cattle barons, cowboys, breeders and builders from around the world

Famous Cattle Towns

Roma, Queensland: The Saleyards That Move Hundreds of Thousands of Cattle

A Maranoa town where store cattle from five states change hands.

What makes Roma a cattle town

Roma is a Queensland country town best known for its cattle sales. Queensland Country Life's 2016 saleyard comparison called the Roma Saleyards the largest in Queensland, with the highest throughput of cattle for the 2015/16 financial year. Meat and Livestock Australia figures showed 335,667 cattle sold there, down from 372,818 the year before, when Queensland was in drought.

Dalby came second with 231,764 head, followed by the Central Queensland Livestock Exchange at Gracemere with 144,658, Emerald with 117,479 and Dalrymple at Charters Towers with 47,204.

A record year in 2017

Queensland Country Life's year-end report for 2017 said the yards had another record year, with 302,479 head sold for record prices totaling $299,482,473, according to Rod Turner of Landmark Roma. The two reports cover different periods, a financial year and a calendar year, so the totals should not be compared directly.

Cattle came from the Northern Territory, South Australia, New South Wales, Western Australia and Queensland. Turner called it a great livestock exchange facility for Australia.

What Made It Work

Roma works because it is a place where large numbers of sellers and buyers can meet regularly. Cattle come from far outside the region, and backgrounders, feedlotters, restockers and processors compete for them.

The sources opened for this profile are market reports, not histories, so this entry is marked thin and does not cover the town's founding.

  • Scale draws buyers: with 335,667 head sold in 2015/16, the yards gave buyers choice in one place.
  • Cattle arrive from five states and territories, which widens the supply on any sale day.
  • Several kinds of buyers, including backgrounders, feedlotters, restockers and processors, keep bidding competitive.
  • Dry seasons push volumes up: a continuing dry season across much of the country drove 2017 numbers, and many Queensland holdings carried half or less of normal stock.
  • The same drought dynamic cuts the other way in some years, with 2015/16 down from 372,818 head the year before.
  • Throughput reflects seasons, so a single year's numbers say as much about weather as about the yards.

How a saleyard like Roma fits into the beef chain

Saleyards are where young cattle often change hands between breeders and the producers who will fatten them. In Queensland much of that trade is liveweight sales, in which cattle are sold by the head or by weight in an open auction. The 2016 comparison separates these from Cloncurry, which sells on a transit basis rather than liveweight. Its 312,557 head is not directly comparable, and the article calls it the largest transit spelling yards in Queensland.

The Beef Central report on beef capital claims notes that about 170 of roughly 400 national feedlots lie within two hours of Toowoomba, which helps explain where many cattle sold through yards in southern Queensland go next.

Learn more

For a deeper look at the Maranoa district's cattle trade, check Maranoa Regional Council or Meat and Livestock Australia, which publish saleyard statistics. Readers who want a wider picture can browse the ranching section of farm.FM and a farm.FM story about Queensland cattle sales.

Timeline

  1. 1860sRoma established, according to the assignment reference data
  2. 2014/15372,818 cattle sold during drought
  3. 2015/16335,667 cattle sold, the highest in Queensland
  4. 2016Queensland Country Life ranks Roma the largest saleyards in Queensland
  5. 2017Record year: 302,479 head for $299,482,473

Frequently asked questions

How many cattle are sold at the Roma Saleyards?

Meat and Livestock Australia figures showed 335,667 cattle sold in 2015/16, down from 372,818 a year earlier. In calendar 2017 the yards sold 302,479 head.

Is Roma the largest saleyard in Queensland?

A 2016 Queensland Country Life comparison called Roma the largest saleyards in Queensland by liveweight throughput for 2015/16, with Dalby second.

Where do Roma cattle come from?

A 2017 report said cattle came from the Northern Territory, South Australia, New South Wales, Western Australia and Queensland, with feedlotters, backgrounders, restockers and processors buying.

What is a store cattle sale?

Store cattle are young animals sold for further growing or fattening rather than for immediate slaughter. Roma runs regular store sales that attract buyers from several states.

Sources and further reading

Profiles are compiled from public sources and reviewed against them. See our editorial policy to suggest a correction.

More from the hall