NARACOORTE
* Yarding: 652 heifers, 29 cows
* Heifers av $1040
* Cows av $1175
TOP quality PTIC Angus breeding females hit new highs of $2100 at the Naracoorte Angus feature female sale on Thursday last week, with prices $600 to $700 above last year’s rates.
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But many pundits expected prices may have soared higher with the Eastern Young Cattle Indicator nudging $6 a kilogram and a number of local herds having poor conception rates with the very dry season.
In the breakdown, independent agents – Pinkerton Palm Hamlyn & Steen, Spence Dix & Co, and Chay & Merrett – sold 652 PTIC heifers for a $1715 average and 29 PTIC cows av $1406.
In stark comparison, in 2014, 507 heifers av $1040 and 80 PTIC cows av $1175.
Pens in the first lane way sold between $1680-$1760 before buyers stepped up a gear.
The $2100 sale toppers came mid-way through the sale with PW&KM Bryson, Keppoch, selling 17 outstanding March-April 2014-drops.
The Stoney Point and Coolana blood heifers were joined to Coolana blood bulls for eight weeks from early February. They were bought by Michael Cobiac, Kingston, with his Elders Kingston agent Scott Christie.
Mr Cobiac said “he knew we would have to pay” but had come specifically for the Bryson’s bloodlines.
“Our PTIC numbers were down so we were chasing high quality breeders which will fit in with our matings to replace them,” he said. “We are going for EU accreditation so we needed EU too.”
Another 20 of Bryson’s EU females were snapped up by Pinkerton Palm Hamlyn & Steen, Kingston, account Chesrex, for $1900. Overall, the Brysons sold 54 heifers for a $1906 av.
First-time vendors Rodney & Sue Ahrns, Point Sturt, received the best presented pen. These made $1680.
In a sign of the strengthening sale their seconds made just $10 less than the blue ribbon winners.
A pen of six-year-old cows from MR Todd topped the mature female offering at $1570.
The nine cows which had been bought in the same sale four years earlier were in calf to a Warrawindi Limousin bull to calve for eight weeks from March.
SDC director and auctioneer Jonathan Spence described it as a “very good” sale.
Other vendors to shine:
– JH & RA Higgins, Kingston, sold 102 heifers to $1790, av $1760.
– Delta Produce sold 117 heifers to $1840, av $1754.
– Panmurra Partners, Keith, sold 78 heifers, av $1760.
– CATHERINE MILLER
