BIDDING started at an electric pace on an outstanding yarding of quality cattle at Friday's monthly store sale at Mount Gambier.
Buyers from the local area, Western District of Vic, Adelaide Plains and Wodonga, Vic, paid up to, and in excess of, the magical $3 a kilogram mark in a very competitive market.
Feedlotter competition was again, very strong and with 380kg-plus steers in their sights, the two main players set the price on heavy feeder steers - Thomas Foods International and feedlots Australia, buying for Teys at Jindalee, NSW, and Charlton, Vic.
Prices were firm to dearer on most classes of cattle. Best feeder steers were up $30 on May store prices, with lighter, plainer cattle $30 to $50 dearer, making $2.90-$3.15/kg. Unweighed, spring-drop steers (estimated weights of 185-250kg) made $600 and $765.
Landmark Mount Gambier's Bob Tonkin believed the beef industry had arrived in a "new era", with the opportunity for more money to be made with current market rates, than there has been in the past 10 years.
Peppa Hill sold 11 Angus steers, estimated 439kg, for the top price of the sale at $1295 or $2.95/kg to TFI. Altogether their 23 Angus and Angus-cross steers av $1183.
Glenbrae sold nine steers, av 460kg, at $2.78/kg or $1280 to Teys Jindalee. Their 50 Angus steers av $988.50.
K Geue, Kingston, sold 14 Angus and Angus-cross steers, av 440kg, at $2.93/kg or $1290 to Peter Ruaro Livestock & Property, Wodonga.
Baker Group, Woonallee, Furner, sold six 14-15 month Simmental-Angus steers, 422kg, at $2.86/kg or $1210 to Teys Jindalee. Their 71 well-bred Simmental-cross steers av $1107.
A limited number of European Union-accredited Angus steers were offered, all making more than $3/kg.
Leaella Partnership, Wallacedale, Vic, sold 85 EU, Banquet-blood Angus steers av $909. Their top pen, 296kg, sold at $3.20/kg or $950 to Elders Mount Gambier, who also snapped up Leaella's next two pens of Angus steers at $3.31/kg or $910 and $3.16/kg or $840, and 12 Oakdown-blood, EU spring-drop Hereford steers, 281kg, at $3.13/kg or $880, from the same vendor.
Morella, Wallacedale, sold 27 EU spring-drop, Coolana-blood, Angus steers, 298kg, at $3.18/kg or $950 to Elders Mount Gambier.
Broadwater Farm sold 40 Angus steers 9-10 months, 265kg at $3.15/kg or $835.
Star performers of the run of coloured cattle and breaking the magical $3/kg mark, were offered by Patanga Pastoral Co, Avenue Range, av $1161 for 44 Shorthorn steers. Their top pen of 23 Bundarra-blood Shorthorn steers, 391kg, sold at $3.04/kg or $1190 to Nampara Pastoral Co, Kingston. They also bought Patanga's next pen of 21 Shorthorn steers, 375kg, at $3.01/kg or $1130.
MW&JF Osborne, Millicent, sold nine Charolais-Shorthorn steers, 310kg at 12-14 months, at $2.74/kg or $850. Jasmar Park sold eight Charolais-cross steers, 298kg at 8-10 months, at $2.78/kg or $830.
Wallaroo Park sold seven Hereford steers, 14-16 months, 422kg, at $2.74/kg or $1160 to Teys Jindalee. Their next pen of 14 Hereford steers, 368kg, at $2.77/kg or $1020 to Elders Mount Gambier.
A small yarding of cows and calves-at-foot were good value, buyers paying well under split value.
G Glare sold six Angus heifers with six Angus CAF at $1250. Garden Flat sold nine Angus-Friesian heifers with nine Angus CAF at $1240 to Elders Millicent.
PJ Harrold, Mingbool, sold 54 PTIC Angus cows av $1245. Their top pen of 21 fifth and sixth calvers, PTIC to Angus bulls, 572kg, sold at $2.29/kg or $1310 to TFI, who bought Mr Harrold's entire draft.
Underpinning the heifer price was regular feedlot buyer, Ogilvie Group's Noel Ogilvie. Black heifers sold dearer, with Angus and Angus-cross dearer than coloured heifers. With a few exceptions, heifers made $2.30-$2.75/kg.
Roxley Park sold 26 Pathfinder-blood Angus heifers, pregnancy- tested empty, av $1068. Their top line, 441kg, made $2.63/kg or $1160.
