AWN expands its WA livestock network

Peter Weaver, national livestock and property general manager and the driving force behind AWN's rapid advance into Eastern States' livestock markets, on his third visit to WA, confirmed Monday the "growth phase" focus was now very much on WA.

AWN is "actively recruiting" livestock agents to grow its WA network and has promoted State wool manager Greg Tilbrook to head both divisions as State wool and livestock manager with the retirement of inaugural WA livestock manager Don Morgan, Mr Weaver confirmed.

After a 19-year career in the grains industry in South Australia, heading a Victorian stockfeed manufacturer then joining Ruralco Holdings and running its water business until shortly after the Landmark-Ruralco merger to form Nutrien Ag Solutions, Mr Weaver joined AWN in May two years ago.

"My mission was to build them (AWN) a livestock and property business," he said at the Muchea Livestock Centre last week.

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AWN also has access to Katanning Regional Sheep Saleyards and is expected to contest a local council knock back of a request for access to Mt Barker saleyards.

"We started from not much, to trading 1.2 million sheep and about 40,000 cattle last financial year, so that gives producers an idea of our growth," he said.

Mr Weaver said they were not big in comparison to some companies, but their performance was not bad for a two-year start up.

"AWN has been in wool for 23 years, so a natural fit is obviously livestock and rural property," he said.

While AWN had purchased existing livestock agency businesses in NSW and Victoria - the latest, Mulcahy Nelson in Tatura last month made AWN the single largest livestock seller at Shepparton livestock exchange - to help build its livestock network and with more purchases to be announced shortly, Mr Weaver said, the same opportunities were not available in WA.

AWN purchased local Muchea business S & C Livestock in February, but WA did not have the large number of independent livestock businesses as potential "takeover targets", as there were in the Eastern States.

So growth here had been slower as a network of representatives from Esperance to Geraldton was created, Mr Weaver pointed out.

"We started at a very difficult trading time with COVID and had to recruit and create a network (of agents) rather than acquire them," he said.

"I think producers have been watching to see whether we would still be here.

"Others have come and gone, but we are still here after two very difficult years.

"The tipping point is people have started approaching us, rather than us having to approach them, which is really encouraging.

"Livestock and wool are a particularly important part of farming in WA and producers need to be assured of getting best returns when interest rates are climbing, input costs of cropping are massive and the risk is that grain prices will drop quicker than chemical and fertiliser prices.

"I know locals don't want to see stock move east, but an important aspect of WA livestock production is that connection east, because it provides another market opportunity if, for example, you were to lose live export."

Mr Tilbrook said he was pleased to have been appointed to also head the livestock division in WA and to oversee its growth phase.

"WA deserves and needs a third player to provide producers with another opportunity outside of the two big corporates," Mr Tilbrook said.