FOR the second consecutive month, the cattle count surpassed 4000 head at the Mount Gambier Combined Agents monthly store sale on Friday.
The substantial yarding of 4160 included some notable annual drafts, with a significant number of cattle being strategically offloaded amidst rapidly depleting feed and the lack of any substantial summer rain.
Dale Keatley of Elders Mount Gambier said the outcome of the sale was "better-than-anticipated".
"Noted lines of cattle sold pretty well, as did the middle run of steers," he said.
"Lighter cattle however, or anything deemed a bit off quality, were cheapest per kilogram."
Angus steers 450kg-plus sold as low as $2.32/kg, but generally from around the $2.70/kg mark and up to $3.26/kg; heavy coloured steers in the same range made $2.48-$2.76/kg. Angus steers 360-450kg sold from a base of $2.35, but mainly in the low to mid $3/kg range up to a high of $3.74/kg; coloured steers 360-450kg made $2.10-$2.99/kg.
Medium weight Angus steers 320-360kg sold from $2.46-$3.76/kg; while coloured steers in the same weight range made from a low of $2.23/kg, mainly hovering around the mid to high $2/kg mark and up to $3.29/kg.
Angus steers 280-320kg sold from $2.41-$3.72/kg; and coloured steers of the same weights ranged from $2.51-$3.29/kg; while lighter Angus steers under 280kg made from $2.42-$3.38/kg, with coloured steers of the same weight, selling from $2.27-$2.59/kg.
Angus steers topped at $1650 (or $2.95/kg) paid by Thomas Foods International for 15 March/April 2022-drop European Union accredited, and Pasturefed Cattle Assurance Scheme eligible, Angus and Angus-cross steers av 560kg, sold by DI&AM Balnaves, Coonawarra.
The Balnaves family sold 36 Angus and Angus-cross steers weighing from 354-560kg for an average of $1263.
TFI also bought 22 18-20 month Angus steers av 518kg at $1600 or $3.09/kg sold by Briley Pastoral, Compton; and 16 PCAS 12-month-old Boonaroo blood Angus steers av 475kg at $1550 or $3.26/kg sold by M&K Judd, Tarpeena.
DC McEachern, Kongorong, sold an annual draft of 98 Angus steers, 8-10mo weighing from 309-399kg for an average of $1187.
Bob Cruise bought 48 of the McEachern steers, paying to $1270 or $3.23/kg for 14 av 393kg.
Mr McEachern also sold 64 PCAS Morganvale-blood Hereford steers weighing from 247-375kg for an average of $976; while Elders Mildura bought 18 of steers av 375kg at $1110 or $2.96/kg.
Elders Heywood bought 21 steers av 334kg at $1100 or $3.29/kg, along with a lighter draft of 13 av 292kg at $900 or $3.08/kg.
JBS bought nine 20-22mo Angus steers av 539kg at $1550 or $2.88/kg and 13 Angus-cross steers av 588kg at $1480 or $2.52/kg sold by Eulameet Pastoral Co, Heywood, Vic; along with five Granite Ridge-bld Angus steers av 538kg at $1580 or $2.94/kg sold by MW&AK Gibbs, Kingston SE; and 11 PCAS Angus cross steers av 524kg at $1300 or $2.48/kg sold by TW&CJ Schulz, Suttontown.
JBS also bought 13 Woonallee-bld Simmental/Angus steers sold by Midway, Lake Condah, Vic. The 16mo steers av 497kg made $1280 or $2.58/kg.
An annual draft of 172 EU/PCAS Angus steers sold by Kumara SE, Mount Gambier, returned the top cents-a-kilo price of $3.82/kg ($1320/hd) for 22 steers averaging 347kg.
The 8-10mo Pathfinder-bld Angus steers ranging from 325-386kg, sold for an average of $1244.
AG&AJ McKinnon, Strathdownie, Vic, sold 26 EU/PCAS Borderdowns-bld Angus steers av 374kg at $1400 or $3.74/kg to Nutrien Millicent; while a lighter draft av 348kg sold to TFI at $1250 or $3.59/kg.
Dismal Swamp also sold an annual draft of 234 PCAS April/May 2023-drop Keringa-bld Angus steers weighing 274-353kg for an average of $1090.
Elders Naracoorte bought 55 of the steers av 353kg at $1305 or $3.70/kg; Pinkerton Palm Hamlyn & Steen, Penola bought 86 av 312kg at $1140 or $3.65/kg; and Elders Camperdown paid $900 or $3.16/kg for 61 av 285kg.
Jarup, Digby, Vic, sold 92 Ebony Beef-bld Angus steers weighing 375-445kg for an average of $1319. The 14mo PCAS steers sold to $1430 or $3.21/kg to Princess Royal Station.
TFI also bought 27 at $1330 or $3.19/kg and another 24 at $1290 or $3.27/kg.
Serle Family Trust, Tantanoola, sold 31 PCAS Hereford steers to Creek Livestock, who paid $1330 or $2.76/kg for 15 av 482kg, and $1260 or $2.71/kg for 16 av 465kg.
Swan Lake, Heywood, sold 15 PCAS Taronga-blood Hereford steers av 354kg at $1080 or $3.05/kg to Thomas DeGaris & Clarkson, Penola; and a lighter draft av 322kg sold to Elders Mount Gambier at $1035 or $3.21/kg.
Ten South Bundarra, Futurity and Yamburgen-bld Shorthorn steers av 280kg sold by Patanga Pastoral, Avenue Range, were bought by Nutrien Swan Hill at $920 or $3.29/kg.
A single offering of five Angus-cross cows PTIC to a Black Simmental bull for March calving sold by Scrubby Park, Wandilo, sold to O'Connor & Graney at $1180.
A total of 1648 heifers also sold at "better-than-expected rates", prices generally comparable to last month, with only the mid-range highs being a fraction off the February results.
Heavy heifers weighing 450kg-plus, returned prices ranging from $2.34-$2.63/kg. Heifers within the 360-450kg range sold from $2.05-$3.01/kg, the majority making upwards of $2.75/kg. Heifers in the 320-360kg weight range sold from $1.84-$3.08/kg. Lighter weight heifers from 280-320kg sold down to $1.72/kg, but made predominantly between $2.10/kg and a high of $2.82/kg. Heifers under 280kg made from $1.91/kg, but consistently made from the low $2/kg to a top of $2.72/kg.
DI&AM Balnaves sold 43 EU/PCAS Angus heifers weighing from 278-490kg for an average of $799.
Creek Livestock bought 18 of the March/April 2023-drop Angus and Angus-cross heifers weighing 490kg at the top dollars-a-head price of $1290 or $2.63/kg; while Duncan Brown bought 13 of the draft av 342kg at $940 or $2.75/kg.
Also selling up near the top were nine Granite Ridge-bld Angus heifers av 480kg selling at $1230 or $2.56/kg for RL Hancock & Sons, Kingston SE, to JBS; while 10 PCAS 12-14mo Angus heifers av 451kg at $1180 or $2.62/kg sold by RW&T Dihm, Mingbool, to Woodwards.
Millanda Estate, Mount Gambier, sold 31 PCAS 10-11mo Milah Murrah-bld Angus heifers av 392kg at $1180 or $3.01/kg to Elders Camperdown; while 27 av 353kg sold at $1080 or $3.06 to Elders Naracoorte.
DC McEachern sold 128 PCAS Boonaroo, Black Rock and Morganvale-bld Hereford-Angus heifers weighing 238-327kg for an average of $799. Elders Naracoorte bought the heaviest draft av 327kg at $970 or $2.97/kg, along with a lighter draft av 312kg at $910 or $2.92/kg.
Elders Naracoorte also bought PCAS 10-12mo Angus and Hereford heifers av 348kg at $1070 or $3.07/kg sold by McGrath & Partners and 29 PCAS Angus heifers av 350kg at $1060 or $3.03/kg sold by JR&SJ Lock, Rendelsham.
Griffin Pastoral, Biscuit Flat, sold 214 Angus and Angus-cross heifers weighing 275-377kg for an average of $864. The Ogilvy Group bought 176 of the draft, paying to $1130 or $3/kg for a draft of heifers av 377kg.
Mr Keatley said there were some significant orders from NSW and Qld.
