MOUNT GAMBIER
Yarding: 1107
Steers to $1300
Heifers to $1050
Cows with calves to $1560
PRICES were on the rise at Mount Gambier’s store cattle sale on Friday, even though the overall quality of the yarding was mixed.
Given the bitter conditions of the past few weeks, cattle are reflecting the season, and with weeks of cold and harsh weather on the cards before the first flush of spring, a rise in quality is not expected anytime soon.
Feedlot buyers set the floor price for heavier steers, with good support amongst local graziers and growing confidence in the cattle job.
Heavy Angus steers weighing 400 kilograms-plus sold on a par with July prices, making from $2.23 a kilogram to $3.08/kg, while heavy coloured steers, 400kg+, were dearer, selling from $2.83-$3.22/kg
Prices on all other classes of steers were higher than the previous month.
Mid-weight Angus steers, 350-400kg, made from $3.03-$3.27/kg and coloured steers in that weight range sold from $2.83-$3.22/kg.
Angus steers from 300-350kg sold from $2.88-$3.06/kg and coloured steers of the same weights made from $2.75-$3.26/kg.
Lighter weight Angus steers, weighing less than 300kg, sold from $2.97-$3.73/kg and coloured steers in this weight range made from $2.49-$2.93/kg.
Steers made to a top of $1300 twice. The first - a draft of eight, 12-month-old Angus steers, 421kg, from LJ&MR Lusty, Mount Gambier, made $3.08/kg to Thomas Foods International. Also making $1300 or $3.22/kg was a draft of 12 Limousin-cross steers, 455kg, from AG Outtram, Mount Gambier, selling to Teys Charlton.
TFI bought 80 steers including 10 Pasturefed Cattle Assurance Scheme-eligible and European Union-accredited, August/September 2017-drop Murray Greys, 334kg, at $1060 or $3.17/kg from Cullenya, Wannon, Vic; 12 Warrensville-blood 10-12-month-old Hereford steers, 361kg, at $1060 or $2.93/kg from RK&SM Johnson, Benara, and 11 Angus steers, 396kg, at $1240 or $3.13/kg from Fernbank, Heywood, Vic.
JJ Gysbers, Millicent, sold four Simmental-cross steers, 391kg, at $1260 or $3.22/kg to Teys Charlton, while Milroy Pastoral, Mingbool, sold 16 Angus-cross steers, 333kg, at $1020 or $3.06/kg to O’Connor & Graney.
Dycer Nominees, Burrungule, sold 10 Boonaroo and Pathfinder-bld, 7-8mo steers, 324kg, at $960 or $2.96/kg to JM Ellis & Co, Hamilton, Vic.
Creek Livestock, Mount Gambier, bought 69 steers including seven, 14-16mo Angus-cross steers, 326kg, at $940 or $2.88/kg and 12, 14-16mo Hereford-cross steers, 343kg, at $1000 or $2.91/kg from BJ&KM Staude Millicent and five, 10-12mo Hereford steers, 340kg, at $960 or $2.82/kg and five, 10-12mo Hereford steers, 340kg, at $960 or $2.82/kg from Nacooma, Casterton, Vic.
JA&KM Peel, Mount Benson, sold 15 Granite Ridge-bld 10-12mo Angus steers, 363kg, at $1190 or $3.27/kg to Creek Livestock, and a younger draft, 8-10mo, at 256kg sold for $920 or $3.59/kg to Miller Whan & John a/c Lindsay.
LF&YL Ellis, Millicent, sold seven 10mo Angus-cross steers, 379kg, at $1150 or $3.03/kg to TFI, and a second draft, 322kg, sold at $970 or $3.01/kg to RL Jones. The Ellis’s also sold four 10mo Hereford-cross steers, 374kg, at $1200 or $3.20/kg to TFI.
Dukalskis Farming sold 23 Angus steers, 292kg, at $1090 or $3.73/kg to Kevin Norman, and a lighter draft, 292kg, sold at $1080 or $3.66/kg selling to Ray White Keatley, a/c Brian Spring.
Springhill, Canunda, sold 24 EU Angus steers, 290kg, at $1050 or $3.62/kg to Green Triangle Livestock, who also bought 16 EU 14-16mo Hereford-cross steers, 313kg, at $990 or $3.16/kg from MK&C Agnew, Wattle Range.
Kingston Park, Kingston, sold six Angus steers, 373kg, at $1150 or $3.08/kg to Ray White Keatley Livestock’s Brian Spring and a lighter draft, 343kg, at $1020 or $2.97/kg to TFI.
Allisford Enterprises, Beachport, sold 10, 8-10mo Angus steers, 315kg, at $910 or $2.88/kg to Elders Mount Gambier, and a lighter draft, 286kg, sold to Landmark Casterton, Vic, at $850 or $2.97/kg.
Iluka Estate, Beachport, sold nine Pathfinder-bld 9mo Angus-cross steers, 280kg, at $870 or $3.10/kg to O’Connor & Graney, and a draft of 11, 9mo Hereford steers, 273kg, sold to Miller Whan & John a/c Lindsay at $800 or $2.93//kg.
Cows and calves sold at rates comparable with the rest of the country and were still considered very good buying.
The feature of the cow and calf sale was the dispersal of a well-bred South Devon cow herd due to the winding back of the farming operation of GC&N Lucas, Mt Schanck.
The Lucases offered 89 South Devon cows, ranging from first calvers to fifth calvers, with 88 South Devon calves at-foot, which were sold to good local support, to a top of $1500 and an average of $1427.
Elders Mount Gambier bought 35 mixed age first, second and third calvers to $1500 and an av of $1401. Ray White Keatley Mount Gambier bought 37 fourth and fifth calvers at an av of $1500.
Kirkland Pastoral, Bray, sold 10 mixed age Angus cows with 10 Charolais calves at-foot, rejoined to Charolais bulls, for $1560 to Miller Whan & John.
Heifer prices were firm on June rates, with only lighter-weight heifers showing a slight increase.
No heavy heifers, weighing more than 400kg, were offered and there was only a limited number from 350-400kg, which made from $1.90-2.83/kg.
The majority of heifers sold fell into the 300-350kg weight range, with prices from $1.95-$2.81/kg.
Lighter heifers weighing less than 300kg sold from $2.13-$2.81/kg.
Fernbank sold seven Angus heifers, 371kg, at $1050 or $2.83/kg to TFI and a lighter draft, 321kg, sold at $770 or $2.39/kg to Mingbool Station.
Mingbool Station bought 103 heifers including 13, 9mo Angus heifers, 280kg, for $735 or $2.62/kg and 21, 9mo Hereford heifers, 280kg, at $680 or $2.42/kg from Iluka Estate, Beachport and 14, 12mo Hereford heifers, 295kg, at $710 or $2.40/kg from Swan Lake, Heywood, Vic.
TFI bought six Murray Grey-cross heifers, 384kg, at $1050 or $2.73/kg from JJ Gysbers and six Angus heifers, 383kg, at $1010 or $2.63/kg from Kingston Park.
AR&KJ Luas sold 12, 12mo Angus heifers, 348kg, at $980 or $2.81/kg to Creek Livestock and Allisford Enterprises, Beachport, sold 17, 8-10mo Angus heifers, 274kg, at $770 or $2.81/kg to Landmark Millicent.