SALE SUMMARY
Yarding: 649
Steers to $1624, av $1168
Unmated heifers to $1416, av $1092
Cows with calves to $1530, av $1398
Prices eased at the Naracoorte combined agents’ monthly store cattle sale on Thursday with buyers cautious about both the season and market direction.
The 649 head yarding was up on the advertised 500 head but was very mixed quality.
Landmark Naracoorte livestock manager Brendan Fitzgerald said prices for 360 to 520 kilogram cattle were firm on the May sale with good support from major feedlotters Teys Australia and Thomas Foods International, but lighter weight cattle were a “bit cheaper”.
“People are not sure about the rain side of things and where prices will be in spring,” he said.
“The buyers have already brought the fat market back so people are being more careful.”
Mr Fitzgerald said the best Angus heifers made $3.20-$3.30/kg but plainer cattle dropped to $2.80/kg – up to 20c/kg cheaper than last month.
One of his clients, Frances Dairy, achieved both steer and heifer top price honours with their milk tooth Charolais-Murray Greys.
Two 552.5 kilogram steers- making $2.94/kg or $1624, to RH Woodward & Co.
A B-double load of their brothers were sold to a feedlot earlier in the week.
Frances Dairy’s outstanding heifers made $1416, knocked down to Teys Australia’s Charlton feedlot.
The 471.9 kilograms had been bought at 320 to 340 kilograms in January.
SM&WJ Johnson, Woolumbool, received $1550 for six 14-month-old Angus weighing 532kg.
At the same money JTM Trust, Maaoupe, sold 13 Angus to Thomas Foods International.
Pandurra Pastoral via Port Augusta were the sale’s volume vendor with a draft of Poll Herefords and Hereford-Angus.
Their 40 Morganvale blood steers made $815 to $960 while 49 young bulls made $770 to $835.
Seven Poll Hereford cows with calves topped at $1530 to Thomas DeGaris & Clarkson, Lucindale and Pandurra’s PTIC cows (at least four months in calf) made to $1270.
SM&WJ Johnson were also among the top heifer prices – seven 449kg heifers making $1380.
Carcoola Pastoral sold 30 March-April 2016 drop Angus to $1338.
Pinkerton Palm Hamlyn & Steen’s Richard Harvie – who bought 120 steers and heifers for backgrounders – said there were “buying opportunities.”
“It was a little easier than expected- there were little cattle under $4/kg and you could buy plenty of cattle under $1000 to put out which has not happened for a fair while,” he said.
Mr Harvie attributed the price drop to a smaller mixed quality yarding and a run of frosts which had slowed pasture growth.