Mount Gambier
Yarding: 1929
Steers to $1520
Heifers to $1115
Cows with calves to $1740
HEAVY steers rallied 15-20 cents a kilogram on last month at the Mount Gambier combined agents’ monthly store cattle sale on Friday last week.
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Many 330kg plus steers made $3.20-$3.30/kg, compared to $3-$3.10/kg at the March sale, with strength coming from SA’s two major processors.
Unweighed light steers made up an estimated $4/kg.
Heifers were also slightly dearer than the March sale, with most Angus making $2.90-$3.10/kg and coloured cattle up to $2.95/kg.
The Lower South East, especially close to Mount Gambier, has enjoyed a great start to the season with a couple of significant falls in the past month, although paddock feed is still short.
The majority of the 1929 cattle stayed local, but buyers from Strathalbyn, Meningie and Loxton ventured south, all conscious of a looming winter shortage.
P&L Livestock’s Chris Manser said heavy steers were $40-$50 dearer than last month but younger steers were on a par.
“If any agent had any vendors not happy with the sale from the first pen to the last they are a hard man to please,” he said.
A major driver was bullock producers looking to replace numbers.
“The general consensus is hopefully we have 12 months of good prices ahead of us. The bullock finished job is ticking along at $2.80-$3/kg and we have sold steers at $1600 to $2000 even in the last week so those who have sold recently are happy to pay $1000 to replace them,” Mr Manser said.
Steer top price honours at $1520 went to CJ&BD Mackereth, Cape Jaffa, with 14 Angus weighing 477kg. These sold to Thomas Foods International.
The Mackereths’ seconds made $1330 to Teys Charlton.
The well-bred run of Hereford steers was led by Warreanga Pastoral Co, Donovans, who sold 15 408kg steers at $1315. They also sold to TFI.
Arthur Facey P/L, Millicent, sold 21 12-13 month old Hereford cross steers weighing 399kg for $1290 and another 13 at $1230.
Tuscanna was the sale’s volume vendor with 164 Angus steers, 8-12 months, from their Reedy Creek and Mumbannar properties. Repeat buyers pushed these young cattle to the sale’s highest cents per kilogram rates - up to $4/kg. The heaviest 14, weighing 367kg, made $1185.
Leigh Kent, Kent Properties, Millicent, sold 87 Simmental-Gelbvieh-Angus steers for a $1169 av, equating to $3.27/kg.
Landmark Kingston’s Richard Miller bought the $1115 top priced heifers in his tally of 150 heifers. The 18 8-10 months old Angus weighing 357 kg were from Wintergia, Kalangadoo- $3.12/kg.
Miller Whan & John’s Andrew Whan said although there were 750 head less cattle than last month’s sale, it was a better quality offering.
“Steers were definitely dearer than last month but heifers were in line with what has been happening around the place and what we have had to pay in the past two to three weeks,” he said.
Mr Whan was a major heifer buyer for the Ogilvie Group and also WT Harvey & Co, Strathdownie. Among his buying were 17 Angus-Shorthorn heifers, weighing 360 kilograms from Keilira Station, Keilira, for $1110.
“Locals have sold cattle for good money and the season is going along well but the demand from people keen to secure numbers is what really helped the job,” Mr Whan said.
“The vendors should be delighted with what happened here today.”
Coorara Estate, Kalangadoo, sold the top cows with calves. The three Angus second and third calvers, not rejoined, made $1740.
The other six cows with calves were from LR Kent, Millicent and made $1560.
