Fierce competition for SE cattle

With good rain being recorded across much of the country in the past week, local agents were fielding calls before and during the sale from northern buyers looking to place orders for cattle, amid reports of increasing prices in the eastern states.

Nutrien Ag Keatley's Dale Keatley, Mount Gambier, described the sale result as "absolutely outstanding", especially given amount of cattle yarded, which was 500 more than the advertised 1700.

"There was great support and animated bidding from start to finish with solid northern and feeder competition - it's obvious that northern buyers are here looking for little cattle," he said.

"Heifers that made $400 a few sales ago are making $950 today. The current strong demand is grass driven, especially for the smaller, well-bred cattle - everyone has $1000 to spend."

Due to the demand, prices were driven 15 cents a kilogram to 60c/kg higher across all classes of cattle, with steer and heifer prices hovering near the high $3/kg mark and regularly breaking through the $4/kg barrier.

Some runs of smaller unweighed steers were estimated to have made in excess of $5/kg.

Related reading: Cattle prices ease at Mt Gambier

Heavy steers weighing more than 450kg sold from $3.33/kg to $3.73/kg, Angus steers from 360-450kg made from $3.50-$4.13/kg, and 360-450kg coloured steers sold from $3.30-$3.84/kg.

Angus steers from 320-360kg returned $3.54-$4.00/kg, and coloured steers in the same weight range made $3.44-$4.17/kg.

Lighter Angus steers, 280-320kg, sold from $3.42-$3.91/kg, while 280-320kg coloured steers made $3.23-$3.96/kg. Coloured steers under 280kg returned $3.02-$4.07/kg and Angus steers under 280kg sold from $3.98-$4.58/kg.

Mount Gambier agents Creek Livestock bought 117 steers in the hotly-contested sale and paid the top price per kilogram of $4.58/kg or $1100 for 16 Boonaroo-blood Angus steers, averaging 240kg, from Wallace Forestry, OB Flat.

Creek Livestock also took the top dollars a head price honours for a draft of 18-20-month-old Angus steers, 554kg, from Argyle Pastoral Co, Lake Mundi, at $1880 or $3.39/kg, along with 20 Pasturefed Cattle Assurance Scheme-eligible 6-8mo Coolana-bld Angus and Angus-cross steers, 254kg, at $1130 or $4.45/kg from McPhersons, Mumbannar, Vic, and 16 Pathfinder-bld Angus steers, 239kg, at $1010 or $4.23/kg from Roxley Park, Yahl.

Garrison Feedlot buyer Danny Saunders, Swan Hill, Vic, made his presence felt, buying 130 steers across all classes, with weights from 295-430kg. This included 10 PCAS, 12-14mo Angus, 428kg, from Hillview, Casterton, Vic, at $1650 or $3.86/kg; and seven, 12mo PCAS Angus, 369kg, at $1400 or $3.79/kg from JK&TA Knightly, Yahl.

Gary O'Connor, Hay, NSW, bought the top run of 87 heavy Angus steers weighing 380-450kg for Ravensworth Feedlot, including 24, 12mo PCAS Nampara-bld, 375kg, at $1550 or $4.13/kg from G&D Dobbe, Dartmoor, Vic; 22 Pathfinder-blds, 441kg at 15-16mo, from Atacama, Kongorong, for $1790 or $4.06/kg, and 12 PCAS Angus and Angus-crosses, 10-12mo and 444kg, at $1790 or $4.03/kg from Tilley Swamp, Kingston SE.

Related reading: Northern buyers continue interest in Naracoorte sale

Among the many notable sales were Barr & James, Mount Schank, with nine Boonaroo-bld Angus steers, 246kg, at $1080 or $4.39/kg; and 21 Hereford steers, 350kg at 8-10mo from GT Trading, Lucindale, that made $1460 or $4.17/kg.

Wallaroo Park, Mumbannar, Vic, sold 14 Yarram Park-bld Hereford steers, 12mo and 268kg, at $1090 or $4.07/kg to Green Triangle Livestock.

HJ Parker, Kingston SE, had 14 Bendulla-bld Hereford steers, 10-11mo and 283kg, at $1120 or $3.96/kg, which also sold to Green Triangle Livestock.

A small yarding of 20 cows with calves at-foot were sold, with the top price achieved by M Phillips, Mount Gambier, selling five Angus-Friesian-Hereford cows with five Limousin-cross CAF at $2350 to Elders Mount Gambier.

While the amount of heifers yarded outnumbered steers, prices held firm and consistently returned rates in the high $3/kg vicinity, and regularly broke through the $4/kg mark.

Heavy heifers weighing 360-390kg sold from $2.67-$3.79/kg; 320-360kg heifers sold from 3.53-$3.93/kg; those 280-320kg sold from $3.30-$3.94/kg; and heifers under 280kg sold from $3.37-$4.93/kg.

Making the top price per head was Hillview, Casterton, with 10, 12mo PCAS Angus-Hereford heifers, 385kg, at $1460 or $3.79/kg, selling to Garrison.

Boolringar Station, Cluain, sold 138 Angus heifers weighing 152-212kg to $850, averaging $791. O'Connor & Graney Mount Gambier bought a draft of 37 heifers, 198kg, at $800 or $4.04/kg; while the remaining 101 heifers were snapped up by James Brown, Ray White Livestock, Albury, NSW, who paid an average of $788 and a top price/kg of $4.93/kg or $750 for a draft of 30 at 152kg.

Related reading: Millicent makes sale day change

Morella, Wallacedale, Vic, sold 20 Nampara-bld Angus heifers, 12-14mo and 383kg, at $1450 or $3.79/kg to Elders Casterton, with a 345kg second draft selling to Thomas DeGaris & Clarkson for $1280 or $3.71/kg.

Griffin Pastoral, Biscuit Flat, sold 212 Angus and Angus-cross heifers, weighing 241-322kg at 12mo, to $1200 or $3.73/kg. Miller Whan & John went hard, buying 180 of the Griffin Pastoral draft, paying to $4.36 /kg or $1050 for a 241kg draft. A draft of 32 Angus heifers, 303kg, sold to Hardwicks at $1150 or $3.80/kg .

Hillside, Mingbool, sold 15 Boonaroo-bld Angus heifers, 274kg, at $1080 or $3.94/kg to Miller Whan & John account Apsley, as well as a draft of Murray Grey-cross heifers, 261kg, at $980 or $3.75/kg.

Roxley Park, Yahl, sold 18 Pathfinder-bld Angus heifers, 280kg, at $1060 or $3.79/kg to Hardwicks; with their 248kg second draft sold to Ray White Dubbo, NSW, at $990 or $3.99/kg.

Wright's Swamp, Drumborg, Vic, sold 9 PCAS and European Union-accredited Banquet and Pathfinder-bld Angus heifers, 349kg, at $1320 or $3.78/kg to Actron; while a 258kg second draft made $1000 or $3.88/kg to Miller Whan & John.

Yarra Australia, Portland, Vic, sold 123 Angus and Hereford heifers with weights from 225-330kg for an average of $1030, with the 330kg top draft selling to Mingbool Station, Mingbool, at $1170 or $3.55/kg.