MOUNT GAMBIER
Yarding: 2068
Steers to $1665
Heifers to $1450
Cows with CAF to $2200
PTIC females $2350
LIVELY competition between Thomas Foods International and Teys Australia saw the two major feedlot buyers outbid local producers on the first twenty pens of older Angus steers at the March store market in Mount Gambier on Friday.
This led to steers weighing 400 kilograms-plus making firm to slightly dearer rates of $3.08 a kilogram to $3.54/kg.
Medium weight Angus steers, 350-400kg, sold firm to slightly easier, from $3.30-$3.70/kg. Angus steers in the 300-350kg weight range sold between $3.39-$3.98/kg, 10-15c/kg easier than the February highs.
Thomas Foods International bought about 300 head with weights from 380-527kg, paying the sale high of $1665 or $3.16/kg for a draft of 22 older Sterita Park-blood Angus steers, 15-18 months, 527kg, sold Balmoral, Cape Bridgewater, Vic. TFI also bought 11 Angus steers, 10-11 months, 420kg at $1420 or $3.38/kg sold Yarramie, Strathdownie, Vic and 11 European Union-accredited Angus steers, 447kg, at $1550 or $3.47/kg from PL&MF Winser, Wattle Range, as well as a second draft of 17 from the same vendor, 405kg, at $1435 or $3.54/kg.
Teys Australia bought more than 100 steers from 390-490kg, including a draft of seven Banquet-bld Angus steers, 486kg, at $1500 or $3.08/kg from Kildare, Kingston SE, also buying their second draft of 19 Angus steers, 418kg, at $1420 or $3.40/kg.
Commission buyer Geoff Wellington, bidding for Kidman & Co, bought more than 40 medium weight to heavier steers including 10 Angus-crosses, 434kg, at $1430 or $3.30/kg, from Glenora, Strathdownie and 12 Charolais-Angus steers, November 2015-drops, 514kg, at $1550 at $3.02/kg, from Walteela Props, Avenue Range.
Heavy coloured steers weighing 400kg+ sold firm on February prices, returning $2.85-$3.54/kg. Feature lines of Shorthorn and Herefords in the 350-400kg and 300-350kg weight ranges trended firm to slightly dearer at $3.32-$3.89/kg and $3.19-$4.30/kg respectively.
A feature line of 119 Yamburgan and South Bundarra-bld Shorthorn steers came in from Patanga Pastoral, Avenue Range, and averaged $1415. The top draft, 420kg, sold at $1485 or $3.54/kg to Green Triangle Livestock, Mt Gambier, while a second draft of Shorthorn/Charolais steers, 307kg, sold at $1320 or $4.30/kg to Miller Whan & John.
Selling an annual draft of Herefords, DC McEachearn, Donovans, offered 86 steers, 9-12 months, with the top draft, 386kg, selling at $1350 or $3.50/kg.
There were 52 females, on the point of calving or with calves at foot, offered at Mount Gambier.
A top of $2200 was paid for 20 Angus-cross cows with 21 Angus-cross calves at foot to Pinkerton Palm Hamlyn & Steen, from Dunvegan Partnership, McArthur, Vic.
I&S Johnston, Tantanoola, sold five Charolais-Hereford heifers with one Limousin-cross calf at foot and four heifers at point of calving at $1880 to Southern Australian Livestock, Kingston SE, and five Limousin-cross first and second calvers with two Limousin CAF and three heifers on the point of calving, at $1820 to Green Triangle Livestock.
Heifer prices subsided from the heady highs of February, to reflect prices more in line with earlier sales.
A limited number of heifers weighing 400 kilograms-plus sold from $2.46 to $3.01/kg, while heifers in the 350-400kg range sold from $3-$3.46/kg and 300-350kg heifers made from $3.05-$3.61/kg.
Lighter heifers less than 300kg sold from $3.15-$3.44/kg.