NARACOORTE
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 last week, with buyers cautious about the season and market direction.
The 649-head yarding was up on the advertised 500 head, but there was very mixed quality.
Landmark Naracoorte livestock manager Brendan Fitzgerald said prices for 360 kilogram to 520kg 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 prime 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 20 cents/kg cheaper than last month.
One of his clients, Frances Dairy, achieved both steer and heifer top price honours with its milk-tooth Charolais-Murray Greys.
Two 552.5kg steers made $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 471.9kg heifers had been bought at 320-340kg 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 was the sale’s volume vendor with a draft of mainly Poll Herefords.
Their 40 Morganvale blood steers made $815-$960, while 49 young bulls made $770-$835.
A pen of Pandurra’s Poll Hereford cows with calves topped the category at $1530, selling to Thomas DeGaris & Clarkson, Lucindale.
SM&WJ Johnson sold seven 449kg Angus heifers for $1380.
Carcoola Pastoral, Penola, had a top draft of 30 March/April 2016-drop Angus make $1338, av $1296.
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,” he said.
“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.”
