NARACOORTE combined agents' monthly store cattle sale last Thursday provided some end-of-financial-year opportunities for buyers but heavy steers again sold well, to $845.
Strong feedlot demand on the heavy-end of steers led to prices in the $1.95 a kilogram to $2.10/kg, and lighter steers in the 280-350kg range $1.75-$1.95/kg.
Unmated heifers at $1.60-$1.80/kg were slightly cheaper than last month.
The 828-head yarding was of quite mixed quality but included some well-bred lines of weaners and 14-16-month-old cattle which were all absorbed locally.
Landmark Naracoorte livestock manager Brendan Fitzgerald said rates were similar to the last month but the heavy-end steers may have been off 5 cents/kg from highs of $2.15/kg a month ago, with the processors finding more finished cattle.
"It was still quite good money for the good cattle, especially the blacks with a bit of weight, but there were some opportunities on the older heifers," he said.
Producers had held off until later this year with many "taking a knock" in the past year, but with feed in the paddock they now had the confidence to step into the market.
Because of the mild winter and good paddock feed, there had been an influx of finished cattle which would not normally be turned off until spring.
"We are getting towards where we should be and it is giving producers a bit of confidence to offload," he said. We have come off some disastrous pricing and while people think $2/kg is great money," Mr Fitzgerald said.
DP&KK Turner, Stewarts Range, topped the steer run at $845 with an outstanding pen of 28 Pathfinder blood 400kg steers 15-16 months bought by Thomas Foods International.
Also in the heavy-end Carojim sold 48 Angus and black baldy steers to $820.
They were all bought by Teys Australia for their Jindalee feedlot at $2-$2.07/kg.
GL&MJ Currie sold 20 September/October 2012 Angus steers to $810 for some steers tipping the scales at 401kg.
The yarding was boosted by a good-quality consignment of 157 Poll Hereford steers and heifers from RR&JA Betts, Circle T Cattle Company, from their Orientos Station just near the border in south western Qld.
Elders Broken Hill agent Ian Featherstone was pleased with prices for the well-bred European Union-accredited cattle, ranging from March 2013-drop to September-November 2013-drop.
"It was about what we were expecting, although the better top-end steers sold above our expectations," he said.
* Full report in Stock Journal, July 3, 2014 issue.
Catherine Miller
Stock Journal's livestock editor and South East correspondent.
Stock Journal's livestock editor and South East correspondent.
