MOUNT GAMBIER
Yarding: 2008
Steers to $1550
Cows with calves to $1640
Heifers to $1250
STEERS at the Mount Gambier combined agents' store sale last Friday were generally cheaper than the barnstorming July sale, which most agents put down to the lesser quality offering.
A few well-bred spring 2018-drops bucked the trend though with light weight Angus steers making up to $4.20/kg.
However the majority of the 2008-head yarding lacked the weight of the previous month.
Miller Whan & John's Andrew Whan said prices for heavy end steers "didn't have quite the punch" as the previous month with Thomas Foods International the only major feedlotter operating.
These steers still made $3.00/kg to $3.40/kg but he noted the cents a kilogram rates rose on the lighter cattle making some if them dearer than last month.
Mr Whan quoted heifers as fully firm to slightly dearer from $2.80/kg to $3.20/kg with strong competition from western Vic.
"There was just a bit more competition on the heifers but there were some pretty ordinary heifers, some clean up jobs which made a fair bit less," he said.
The sale's $1550 top priced steers were the first pen of the day from Glenfruin Pastoral Co.
The five Angus-Shorthorns weighing 556kg were knocked down to regular Mount Gambier buyers Elders Mount Gambier account Nampara Pastoral Company.
Nampara continued their dominance in the heavy end with 11 March/April 2018 drop Angus from IW Brown, Mount Gambier, for $1530.
They also bought the top price in the coloured run with Hereford-Simmental steers from Aminac Solutions, which made $1470, as well as five Limousin steers from TGW&JS Bignell ,Glencoe, weighing 434kg, for $1450.
La-Lee, Glenburnie, took the top price cents a kilograms honours with their annual draft of 100 September/October 2018-drops making to $4.20/kg.
The tops , 24 of the TeMania and Boonaroo bloods weighing 286kg made $1080.
"The way it is going it is going to get dearer but it it 100 less we have to feed," La-Lee vendor Bert Prosperi-Porta said.
Yearling Angus steers from Kumara SE, Kalangadoo, were also among the star performers.
Twenty 325kg made $1150, while the next pen of 27 weighing 303kg made $1080.
The Widdisons sold their top draft in the June sale up to $3.40/kg but were in front after the recent price rise with the pens equating to
In other strong sales TFI bought six Angus steers, 7-11mo, for $1090 from Wattle View Holdings, Portland, Vic.
There were opportunities again on cows with calves for those who had paddock feed.
El Toro Graziers, Meningie, topped the offering at $1640 with seven 2014 and 2015 drop Angus with June-July drop calves sired by Raven Limflex.
They were knocked down to Southern Australian Livestock Kingston.
Another nine older cows (2011 drops) with the same age 10 calves also from El Toro made $1440.
The tops of the unmated heifers were 10 Hereford crosses from Aminac Solutions, 15-16 months of age, which made $1250.
The 415kg were knocked down to TFI.
G&D Dobbe, Dartmoor, Vic sold the tops in the Angus run with their 361kg making $1120 to Creek Livestock, Mount Gambier.
Their seconds, 10 weighing 317kg made $965.
EU heifers were in demand with MK&C Agnew,Wattle Range, selling 13 Angus crosses for $1080 and 24 from TR Truscott, Marcollat, weighing 323kg knocked down for $1060.
Despite these strong prices were plenty of little heifers making $400 to $500 a head.
O'Connor & Graney's Ben Jones acknowledged it was an average quality yarding but said the rise in bullock prices and also forecasts of tight cattle supply had given the store market a boost in the past couple of months.
"A good bullock is making $3.40/kg so for properties that are selling them (bullocks) at $2100 to $2300 then $1100 to $1200 is not a bad buy-back in price," he said.
"At the moment we are still a little tight for feed before buyers start chasing a few more cattle.
"We need a bit of spring on us before things take off."
