Mt Gambier record tumbles

The Patzel family, Bamboa, Strathdownie, Vic, sold a draft of lighter European Union-accredited Angus steers, 10-11 months, for the unprecedented price.

This was for a pen of their Angus steers, 228kg, selling at $995, for the market record to Miller Whan & John, Mount Gambier.

Overall, the market made up all of the lost ground from the previous month, and then some.

Numbers were down in one of the smallest November sales in recent times, with only 1321 head yarded.

The majority of calves normally offered at this time of the year have already been sold, with dry conditions and good prices making it an easy decision for regular vendors to offload earlier than usual.

Prices only had one direction to go - up.

Local restockers were prepared to go the distance and keep pace, with a full contingent of feedlot buyers in attendance, to secure their selections.

All weights and grades of cattle saw a significant price increase, being about $150-plus dearer, particularly well-bred Angus steers, with the smaller, lighter types selling at extreme prices.

Heavy Angus steers 400kg-plus made from $3.10/kg-$3.30/kg; 350-400kg from $3.10/kg-$3.25/kg; 300-350kg from $3.20/kg-$3.65/kg; and under 300kg from $3.20/kg-$4/kg.

Heavy coloured steers 400kg-plus made from $3.10/kg- $3.35/kg; 350-400kg from $3.05/kg-$3.50/kg; 300-350kg from $3.10/kg-$3.55/kg; an under 300kg $3.10-$3.65/kg.

Heifers 400kg-plus made from $2.70/kg-$3.30/kg; 350-400kg $2.70/kg-$3.05/kg; 300-350kg $2.90/kg-$3.05/kg; and under 300kg $3.05/kg-$3.60/kg.

O'Connor & Graney's Ethan Bronca described the sale "as dear as poison".

He said it was a phenomenal sale compared with last month, with heifers nearly $1/kg up and dearer than the previous week's sale at Naracoorte.

"With prime cattle prices kicking again, the store market has followed suit and the South East being pretty much the only area with fresh feed still in the paddocks, buyer confidence in the area is still strong," he said.

Sheringa Pastoral Co, Furner, whose property has been sold, offered nine European Union-accredited Woonallee-blood Simmental-Angus steers, 12-14 months, 483kg, that made $1580 or $3.27/kg to Teys Australia's Charlton, Vic, feedlot.

Teys also bought a second draft of nine steers offered by the same vendor, 422kg, at $1380 or $3.27/kg.

Sheringa also achieved the top market price of the day, with a draft of 13 Woonallee-blood Simmental-Hereford steers, 478kg, 12-14 months, at $1600 or $3.34/kg.

Teys operated strongly, buying heavier steers, including 12 Nampara-blood Angus steers, 15-16 months, 457kg, at $1450 or $3.17/kg from Nangkita, Mt Gambier, and five Angus steers, 483kg, 12-14 months at $1490 or $3.08/kg from M Buckle, Lucindale.

Teys also bought nine Te Mania-blood Angus steers, 395kg, at $1250 or $3.16/kg from Frank Island Pastoral, Millicent and the first draft of steers offered from G&D Dobbe, Dartmoor, Vic, with seven Pasturefed Cattle Assurance Scheme-accredited Angus steers, 10-11 months, 400kg, selling at $1255 or $3.13/kg.

Glenora, Strathdownie, Vic, sold 14 Angus and Angus-cross steers, 416kg, at $1320 or $3.17/kg and a second draft of 12 Angus and Angus-cross steers, 384kg at $1250 or $3.25/kg.

Richmond Hill sold 12 Angus cross steers, 12-14 months, 384kg, at $1260 or $3.28/kg.

Willowbank sold 22 weaned Angus steers, 8-10 months, 310kg, at $1135 or $3.66/kg.

Scotchmans Hill, Condah, Vic, sold 10 Angus steers, 12-14 months, 350kg, at $1.60 or $3.31/kg.

Bamboa also sold 150 Angus steers, 10-11 months, EU-accredited, with 21, 396kg, selling at $1295 or $3.27/kg to Thomas Foods International.

Princess Royal, Burra, bought Bamboa's second draft of nine Angus steers, 384kg, at $1250 or $3.25/kg. Another 49 Angus steers, 305kg, sold to Elders Millicent at $1110 or $3.64/kg.

Still Water, Penola, sold 13 Charolais-Shorthorn steers, 419kg, at $1300 or $3.10/kg.

Shiloh Park, Mount Gambier, sold 11 Hereford steers, 336kg, at $1090 or $3.24/kg.

Kinkella Pastoral, Mumbannar, Vic, sold 76 EU-accredited weaned Angus-Simmental steers, 8-9 months. The top pen, 325kg, sold at $1120 or $3.44/kg to local grazier Allan Kain, Kaicowrie, Wattle Range, who also bought Kinkella's second draft of 13 Angus/Simmental steers, 290kg, at $1010 or $3.48/kg.

LK Ling, Mount Benson, sold 11 Granite Ridge-blood Angus steers, 10 months, 381kg, at $1250 or $3.28/kg and a second draft of 15, 333kg, at $1170 or $3.51/kg.

Hilgay, Coleraine, Vic, sold 12 Murray Grey steers, 328kg, at $1000 or $3.04/kg to Landmark Casterton, Vic.

JR Peck, Keith, sold 23 Belmore-blood Shorthorn steers, 258kg, at $950 or $3.68/kg.

A small yarding of 73 cows with calves sold pretty much to expectation and on a par with last month's prices.

Bassendean, Strathdownie, Vic, sold 13 Angus cows, first calvers with 14 Angus calves-at-foot, rejoined to Boonaroo-blood Angus bulls, at $1960 to Sam O'Connor, O'Connor & Graney, who also bought a second pen of 18 first calvers with 18 CAF, at $1950. Landmark Strathalbyn bought 19 cows with 19 CAF from the same vendor at $1960.

Bell & Co sold nine Angus cows with nine Angus CAF at $1560, while Hillview, Casterton, Vic sold 11 Angus cows, second and third calvers, with 12 3-4 month-old Angus CAF at $1360.

The heavy end of the heifer run had very strong enquiry, with NSW commission buyer Duncan Brown underpinning prices, and some classes of heifers being $150-$200 dearer.

Sheringa Pastoral Co sold 17 Woonallee-blood Simmental-Angus heifers, 12-14 months, EU-accredited, 450kg, at $1370 or $3.04/kg to TFI, who also bought the next draft of 10, 405kg, at $1150 or $2.83/kg. TFI also bought 12 Woonallee-blood Simmental-Hereford heifers, 439kg, 12-14 months, at $1310 or $2.98/kg from the same vendor.