THE changing landscape of agricultural merchandise has opened the opportunity for Mick Creagh, Ongerup Farm Supplies & General Store, to join Westcoast Wool & Livestock's growing livestock team.
Mr Creagh said he particularly liked the fact the company was Australian and - even closer to home - a Western Australian-owned business.
"It's always good dealing with a local business on everything,'' Mr Creagh said.
Mr Creagh and his son, Harry, run the Ongerup business and they have a small team that also assists the general store, which has experienced high demand during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In addition to the farm supplies and general store, the latter of which had previously been closed for two years, the business also includes groceries, the local post office, hardware and liquor.
Merchandise products are supplied under an arrangement with David Grays Aglink, which has provided strong support.
"They have been really good, ensuring supply when we didn't think we would get it,'' Mr Creagh said.
He has a long history in farming and livestock and is looking forward to supporting producers under the Westcoast Wool & Livestock banner.
Hailing from a family farm at Nungarin, he later managed farms at Mullewa, Leinster, Hopetoun and Dumbleyung, as well as at Ongerup before taking up the local business opportunity.
Most properties were mixed sheep and cropping operations, while the station at Leinster was devoted to sheep and wool production.
Mr Creagh holds hope for a more promising season for producers through the Ongerup area after tough recent conditions.
"Our biggest problem has been water," Mr Creagh said.
"There are more dry dams around than I have ever seen before.
"We virtually haven't had water running into dams since the floods in February 2017."
Mr Creagh said while producers have had to reduce their stock numbers and plenty have headed east, it had at least been fortunate that livestock returns had been very strong.
