MOUNT GAMBIER
Yarding: 2583
1626 steers to $1760
871 heifers to $1390
70 cows with calves to $2850
16 PTIC females to $1340
FROM the extreme highs paid at Mount Gambier’s May store market, prices corrected at the store market held on Friday.
Lower demand was especially evident in the lighter classes of cattle which were significantly cheaper.
With only 1800 head advertised, an unexpectedly larger yarding of more than 2500 was offered for sale.
Elders’ David Creek considered the quality yarding of steers “equal to anything you could find in Australia for June, of extremely good quality and in ideal condition to go into feedlots or for graziers to feed on” and was echoed by Thomas Foods International’s Matt Heinrich as a “magnificent run of steers”.
Mr Creek said this month, feedlot buyers “blew the graziers out of the water on heavier cattle, graziers having had the wood on the feedlots in the past couple of months”.
Heavier Angus steers 400kg+ sold firm on last month’s rates at $3.26 to $3.78/kg, heavy coloured steers selling at slightly dearer, $3.31 to $3.84/kg.
A draft of 8 Shorthorn/Charolais steers, 15-16 months av 458kg sold a/c Annya, Heywood, Vic achieved the market high at $1,760 or $3.84/kg ,selling to Mt Gambier’s O’Connor & Graney, who also bought a daft of 14 Hereford steers 15 months av 486kg at $1,745 or $3.59/kg sold a/c Kolora, Tarpeena.
Graziers appeared a little more conservative this month after reaching the dizzy heights of May, feedlots bouncing back with stronger competition on heavier cattle than in previous couple of sales.
Thomas Foods International bought around 300 steers and 100 heifers, including 9 Weeran and Nampara blood Angus steers 15 months av 525kg at Friday’s top price of $1,710 or $3.26/kg, and a second draft av 508kg at $1,715 or $3.38/kg, sold a/c Millanda Estate, Mt Gambier.
Mid weight Angus steers 350-400kg, sold 10-20c/kg cheaper than May high, at rates from $3.51 to $3.97/kg; coloured steers in this weight range were around 10c/kg cheaper at rates of $3.26-$3.91/kg.
Angus steers in the 300-350kg weight range, sold easier at prices from $3.28-$4.14/kg, coming back into line with prices paid in April; coloured steers in this weight range were up to 40c/kg cheaper, selling at rates from $3.17 - $3.78/kg. Lighter Angus steers under 300kg sold from $3.71 to $4.20/kg, up to 40c/kg cheaper; but the lighter coloured steers sold firm to slightly dearer than May, selling from $3.90 to $4.34c/kg.
Nampara Pastoral Co, Lucindale, was the strongest of the restockers, going head to head with Thomas Foods International and buying over 120 heavier steers, including 21 Landfall blood Angus steers 16-18 months av 434kg at $1,57- or $3.62/kg sold a/c G&GJ Glare, Mumbannar; 19 Tiangie blood Hereford steers av 386kg at $1,510 or $3.91/kg a/c Hillside, Mingbool and 28 Woonallee blood Simmental/Angus steers av 400kg at $1,580 or $3.95/kg sold a/c Baker Group, Furner.
David Fenton, DCF Marine, Karabeal Vic, sold 120 European Union accredited Mureduke and Eloora blood Angus and Angus/Shorthorn steers, 11-13 months to average $1,431. 89 of the Fenton family’s steers went to Thomas Foods International, including the top draft av 423kg at $1,600 or $3.78/kg, 32 av 358kg at $1,400 or $3.91/kg and 17 av 425kg at $1,590 or $3.74/kg.
Corinda Downs, Mingbool sold 51 Angus/Simmental steers 9-10 months, with weights from 323kg to 403kg, for an average of $1,330. Their top draft av 403kg sold at $1,340 or $3.33 to Nampara Pastoral Co, a second draft a/c Corinda Downs av 393kg selling at $1,430 or $3.64/kg to Thomas Foods.
The McLeod family, Wallacedale, sold 154 Banquet and Coolana blood, EU accredited Angus steers, 8-10 with weights from 275- 327kg, months from their Morella and Leaella properties, to average $1,171. Their top draft av 323kg sold at $1,300 or $4.02/kg to Thomas Foods International, another lighter draft, av 283kg sold at $1,165 or $4.17/kg to Pinkerton Palm Hamlyn & Steen.
DA&LF Firth, Dartmoor Vic, sold 14 Pathfinder blood Angus steers av 311kg at $1,265 or $4.07/kg; a second draft av 366kg at $1,400 or $3.82/kg to Nampara Pastoral Co, who also bought 9 of the Firth family’s draft of Warrensville blood Hereford steers av 375kg at $1,360 or $3.47/kg.
Jamalu Farming, Mt Gambier sold 26 Angus steers, 9-11 months old av 316kg at $1,300 or $4.11/kg to Pinkerton Palm Hamlyn & Steen, a second draft av 289kg selling at $1,130 or $3.91/kg to Miller Whan & John.
Jarrup Pty Ltd, Digby Vic sold 79 Angus steers, 12-14 months for an average of $1,144, their top draft av 312kg, at $1,210 or $3.88/kg to Pinkerton Palm Hamlyn & Steen, who also bought the Jarrup second draft at $1,180.
Landmark Millicent bought 60 steers, including 6 Boonaroo and Pathfinder blood Angus steers, 8-10 months at 301kg at $1,150 or $3.82/kg sold a/c Dycer Nominees Burrungule; 13 TeMania and Boonaroo blood Angus steers 8-10 months av 311kg at $1,255 or $4.04/kg a/c KG&KM Gosden, Glencoe, 10 Mootatunga blood Angus steers, 9 months av 326kg at $1,200 or $3.68/kg a/c Alpha Agriculture, Penola and 8 Mootatunga Angus steers 10 months av 335kg at $1,290 or $3.85/kg sold a/c Lossie Nominees, Millicent.
Scott Creek Livestock, Mt Gambier bought 166 steers including 6 Granite Ridge blood Angus cross steers av 406kg at $1,370 or $3.37/kg a/c JA&KM Peel, Mt Benson; 12 Angus steers av 345kg at $1,220 or $3.54/kg a/c Beechwood, Heywood Vic and 15 EU accredited Angus/Hereford steers av 346kg at $1,290 or $3.73/kg a/c MK&C Agnew, Wattle Range.
JJ Kelly, Warrnambool Vic, bought 46 steers including 13 Angus steers av 343kg at $1,240 or $3.62/kg a/c Beckersfield Pastoral, Keith, 5 Angus steers av 330kg at $1,215 or $3.68/kg a/c KB&DG Sharam, Mil-Lel; 9 Angus cross steers 16 months av 396kg at $1,290 or $3.26/kg a/c Pointvale Hamilton, Vic and 8 Tugulawa blood Simmental cross steers 11-12 months av 356kg at $1,220 or $3.43/kg a/c IJ Kerr, Dartmoor.
A large yarding of dairy steers sold to softer demand. Miller Whan & John bought 109 bucket reared Friesian steers, sold a/c Karinya Downs, Donovans Dairying, Wye, to a top of $925 and an average of $776. Mundoolin Dairying Pty Ltd, Mt Schanck, sold 20 Friesian bull calves 8 months at $530 and a second draft of 18 at $465 to Scott Creek Livestock.
Cows and calves market was very solid and prices were firm on recent markets. Riverlyn, Murray Bridge, sold 12 mixed age Hereford/Simmental cows with 12 calves at foot, PTIC to Angus bulls at $2,220 to Landmark Millicent and 13 mixed age Murray Grey cows with 13 Murray Grey calves at foot, at $1,880 to Miller Whan & John.
Kuhl Family, Tarpeena, sold 6 Angus/Friesian heifers with 6 Angus calves at foot, not rejoined at $2,430 to Elders Heywood; Marandaly, Mt Gambier sold 27 Saler heifers with 27 calves at foot at $2.310 to Green Triangle Livestock; GH&BM Newton, Bolwarra, Vic sold 8 Angus cows with 8 April drop Angus calves at foot at $1800 to Miller Whan & John.
Only two pens of PTIC females were offered; Riverlyn sold 5 Angus heifers PTIC to Angus bulls $1,340 and 5 mixed age Angus cows at $690, both bought by Ray White Keatley Livestock.
Good quality heifers sold well but as the quality dropped off, the going got tough with lack of buyers and demand. The previous few sales had seen heifer prices escalate, when buyers who had missed out on purchasing steers, turned to buying heifers for mating, as an alternative, pushing heifer prices to unprecedented highs.
As the opportunity to mate heifers has all but passed, prices are returning to more realistic values.
Only a few pens of heavier heifers 400+kg were yarded and sold at prices $2.91-$3.18/kg, were firm on last month’s prices, Annya, Heywood Vic, sold 6 Shorthorn cross heifers av 398kg at the top price $1,390 or $3.49/kg to Nampara Pastoral Co.
Thomas Foods continued their strong presence from the steer run, bidding on heifers in the 300-400+kg weight range, buying around 100 heifers including 4 Angus cross heifers av 443kg 10-12 months at $1,300 or $2.93/kg and 19 Angus cross heifers 12-14 months av 357kg at $1,240 or $3.47/kg sold a/c VR&CM Kent, Millicent; 5 Angus heifers av 394kg at $1,300 or $3.30/kg a/c BAJ&LK O’Connor; 7 Angus cross heifers av 411kg at $1,310 or $3.18/kg a/c RE&RG Johnston, Dartmoor Vic, and 10 Mootatunga blood Angus heifers av 338kg at $1,150 or $3.43/kg a/c Lossie Nominees, Millicent.
350-400kg heifers sold easier, from $3-$3.66/kg; 300-350kg heifers from $2.94- $3.70c/kg, and lighter heifers under 300kg retreating to previous values of $3.20-$3.81c/kg.
Scott Creek Livestock, was a very strong operator on medium weight heifers, 300-400kg, buying a draft of 6 Angus cross heifers av 398kg a/c Wanbannar Partnership, Dartmoor Vic, at $1,360 or $3.42/kg; 5 Banquet and Shadwell blood Angus/Hereford heifers 11-12 months av 398kg at $1,360 or $3.42/kg a/c Shadwell Park, Heywood, Vic; 10 Angus/Simmental heifers 10-12 months av 364kg at $1,270 or $3.49/kg a/c LF&YL Ellis, Millicent.
Patanga Pastoral Avenue Range sold 20 Shorthorn heifers av 364kg at $1,330 or $3.65/kg to Nampara Pastoral Co, a draft of 18 Angus cross heifers av 319kg at $1,140 or $3.57/kg to Miller Whan & John, and 14 Charolais cross heifers, av 322kg at $1,170 or $3.63/kg.
Bellco, Wallacedale Vic, sold 23 Angus heifers 14 months av 354kg at $1,280 or $3.62/kg and 27 Angus heifers 14 months av 304kg at $1,100 or $3.62/kg to LMB Livestock, Hamilton.
Tarcoola Casterton Vic, sold 11 Bowmont blood Hereford heifers av 443kg at $1,290 or $2.91/kg to Nampara Pastoral Co, a second draft av 357kg at $1,090 or $3.05/kg to JJ Kelly & Co Warrnambool.
Sandy Ridge, Mt Gambier sold 40 Angus and Angus cross heifers, 8-10 months for an average of $1,015, the top draft av370kg at $1,210 or $3.27/kg to Thomas Foods.
Killarnie, Mingbool sold 15 Pathfinder blood Angus and Angus cross heifers av 319kg at $1,050 or $3.30/kg to Elders Lucindale, a second draft of 14 unweighed Angus heifers selling at $920 to Miller Whan & John.
Alpha Agriculture, Penola sold 6 Mootatunga blood Angus heifers 9 months av 281kg at $950 or $3.38/kg to Landmark Millicent and Nangkita, Eight Mile Creek, sold 12 Nampara blood Angus steers av 360kg at $1,320 or $3.66/kg to Thomas DeGaris & Clarkson.
Verona, Dismal Swamp, sold 20 Angus heifers 13-15 months av 355kg at $1,300 or $3.66/kg to Nampara Pastoral Co and a second draft of 11 Angus heifers 13-15 months av 343kg at $1,270 or $3.70/kg to Thomas DeGaris & Clarkson.
Mt Gambier Combined Agents would like to advise that all future store markets will be commencing at 10am.