NARACOORTE
Yarding: 1198
Steers to $1300, av $911
Heifers to $1110 av $743
Cows with calves to $1980
VENDORS at the Naracoorte combined agents' store cattle sale on Thursday had plenty to smile about with prices jumping 15 to 20 cents a kilogram on rain in many areas of northern NSW and Qld.
Feedlotters were again the sale's strength with most 350kg plus cattle making $2.95/kg to $3.10/kg.
Elders Lucindale branch manager Ronnie Dix said the interstate rain had an immediate effect on prices across the board.
"Demand did slow right up with only a handful of backgrounders but prices didn't fall away because of the momentum from the heavy feeders," he said.
"Little cattle which were $2.60/kg to $2.70/kg last month were around $3/kg."
Mr Dix predicted the market would continue to rise if more rain occurred.
"We knew supply was going to tighten right up at the end of April but the rain just brought it forward a month."
Iluka Estate, Beachport, sold the $1300 top price steers with 20 Angus and Angus-Herefords making $3.13/kg.
The 416 kilogram steers were snapped up by Thomas DeGaris & Clarkson's Sam Hill for Merrett Pastoral Company.
The seconds weighing 399kg from Iluka Estate made $1165.
Iluka Estate also sold 32 heifers to $1085 for a $1007 average.
Moyle Pastoral sold eight Pathfinder blood EU steers for $1260.
Another EU accredited vendor Yarlalla Pastoral, Lochaber, sold 32, April-May 2018 drop Simmental-Hereford steers to $1200 for a pen of
CG&DC Dean, Penola, received $3.16/kg for 12 March-April 2018 drop Angus weighing 397.1kg.
This equated to $1255.
There was strong bidding for the 40 April-May 2018 drop steers from Yalanda Pastoral Co, Meningie, which made $1100 and $1040.
Yalanda's heifers sold to $2.85/kg for 28 weighing 330kg.
Roma Downs Pastoral, Keith, sold the top price heifers at $1110 for eight Stoney Point bld Angus weighing 423kg.
Their siblings -11 Angus steers weighing 342kg for $1040 to Landmark Adelaide's Trevor Driver who bought about 170 head in the sale.
A magnificent pen of three in one unit Simmental females offered by Elaine Sleep, Penola, made $1980.
The 5-10 yo Woonallee bloods were 6-7 months in calf and sold with 5-6 month old calves.
Southern Australian Livestock's Will Nolan said it was good to see store prices "turn the corner" after cows jumped 30-40c/kg and heavy steers lifted from about $2.60/kg to $3/kg two days earlier at the Naracoorte prime market.
At the store sale he said heavy heifers were keenly sought in the $2.60-$2.75/kg range but there were still opportunities to buy 250kg to 320kg heifers between $2.40/kg and $2.50/kg.
He said although the market had lifted it was still a "good time" to put cattle in the paddock.
"Once we get a rain locally prices will go up even further," Mr Nolan said.
The next Naracoorte store cattle sale will be held on Wednesday, April 17, due to Anzac Day falling on the regular date of the last Thursday of the month.
