Rural & Agriculture
7 August, 2026
Kelvin remains Australia’s top sheep assessor
ARARAT’S Kelvin Donnan has been crowned AuctionsPlus' Top Throughput Sheep Assessor for 2026, backing up last year's win with another outstanding season on Australia's leading online livestock marketplace.
The Nutrien Ag Solutions Ararat livestock agent completed 120 assessments covering 43,437 sheep during the financial year, finishing more than 3,000 head ahead of the runner-up to claim the national title for a second consecutive year.
The award caps off a career spanning more than three decades.
Mr Donnan became accredited with CALM in 1994, making him the youngest Level 1 assessor in the platform's history at just 22 years of age.
He now holds Sheep Level 1 and Cattle Level 2 accreditation and has completed more than 1,080 sheep assessments throughout his career.
AuctionsPlus Chief Executive Officer Wyn Snyman said Mr Donnan's ongoing success reflected both his professionalism and dedication to his clients.
"His dedication to his clients is evident, and we appreciate that he sees so much value in using our national platform to deliver good results for them," Mr Snyman said.
Mr Donnan said the recognition represented much more than a single year's work.
“I've been in the game over 30 years, it's a really nice honour to have,” he said.
“It's not 12 months work, it's a lifetime of work, it's a lifetime achievement.”
He credited the award to the trust built with producers over many years.
“It's a real testament to my clients and their trust in the process, trust in AuctionsPlus and trust in Nutrien.”
Mr Donnan said every assessment relied on a combination of technical knowledge, experience and understanding each client's operation.
“We go out, we weigh, we assess, we get a lot of breeding data which I already know just through years of working with clients, and then we market them accordingly,” he said.
“We try to market them to a broader audience and get the best result we can for our clients. That's the ultimate aim. A lot of work goes into it, but it's very rewarding.”
He said consistency came down to accurate assessments backed by strong communication.
"It comes down to accuracy of assessment, and accuracy of assessing the state of the season," he said. "Even if things don't go to plan, you follow through and make the right phone call. Accurate assessing leads to accurate delivery, which leads to no issues."
Mr Donnan said the award was also recognition of the quality of livestock producers across the Ararat district.
“I really thank the clientele for their support, and thank AuctionsPlus,” he said.
“We've got quality clients in the district with big numbers. We try to put significant lines together, so we've got economies of scale for our clientele. There's hardly an offering I put out where there isn't a new buyer. It really is Australia's marketplace.”
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