CATTLE in Victoria are being sold prematurely with the bushfires forcing stock to move and the dry conditions limiting options of where to send them. There have been several fires this month across Victoria impacting the upper Murray, central and southern parts of the state, forcing large numbers of cattle to move to the western districts on agistment. “The western districts have taken a lot of cattle on agistment but water is an issue, there’s plenty of dams dry or only have 10 per cent left,” he said. Do they have to calve out on the agistment, is there enough water to keep the cattle that long and what if it doesn’t rain? Long term impact of early turn offMr Unthank said there will be long term impacts of this early turnoff of cattle in the south.