A larger-than-advertised yarding of 1674-head of cattle were sold at last Friday's monthly store cattle sale in Mount Gambier, where, in a very good quality yarding for this time of year, all steers weighing 320 kilograms or less made in excess of $4/kg.
All classes of cattle sold firm to dearer on last month's rates.
The usual feedlotters, backgrounders and restockers scrambled to get a bid in and the handful of Vic buyers found competition to be pretty hot, especially on the better bred pens, most going home empty handed.
O'Connor & Graney agent Ben Jones, Mount Gambier, remarked that the yarding was "a pretty handy line-up" for this time of year.
"Even though winter's been a bit tough down here, the cattle presented well and prices were stronger compared with last month's market," he said.
Dale Keatley, Nutrien Keatley Mount Gambier, remarked "the steer job was very solid today, selling very well with no weak spots".
"The secondary or inferior-bred cattle sold particularly well," he said.
"Prices were solid and in most cases you had to have $4/kg in your pocket to get a look in. And although the growing season hasn't been the best so far, producers are hanging their hats on the prospect of getting some good September rains.
"We need supply, we need quality and we need to keep the abattoirs open for the strong domestic demand."
The top dollars-per-head price of $1900 was paid twice for Angus steers for the first two pens sold.
One was a draft of Angus-Hereford steers, 16 months-old, averaging 477kg, which equated to $3.98/kg, sold by Pascoe Park, Mount Gambier, to Elders Penola on account Nampara; while the other was 13 Angus steers av 456kg from Majardah Rural, Glencoe, sold to Thomas Foods International at $4.17/kg.
The top cents-per-kilo price went to Angus steers from Kumara SE, Mt Gambier, at $4.84/kg or $1370. They were 20 Pasturefed Cattle Assurance Scheme-eligible Pathfinder-bloods, av 283kg at 11-12 months, which sold to Miller Whan & John, Mount Gambier, for account Lindsay.
Kumara SE sold 79 Angus steers overall, weighing 267-477kg, to average $1413.
Their heaviest draft av 477kg sold at $1735 or $3.64/kg to Elders Mount Gambier for account Nampara.
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Bundooran, Dunkeld, Vic, sold 27 PCAS-eligible Angus steers, 343-468kg for an average price of $1647. The top draft av 461kg sold at $1840 or $3.91/kg to Teys Australia.
Coomoroo, Strathdownie, Vic, sold 22 Borderdowns-bld Angus steers av 337kg at $1480 or $4.39/kg and a second draft av 343kg at $1480 or $4.31/kg to Elders Mount Gambier for account Smith.
Regular vendors JA&KM Peel, Mount Benson, sold 23 Granite Ridge-bld Angus steers, 274-292kg, for an average of $1283 to commission buyer David O'Shaughnessy, for Elders Geelong. The top line sold at $1290 or $4.67/kg.
Schubert Boers paid the top dollars-per-head price of $1790 for coloured steers, which were 13 PCAS-eligible 15mo Simmental-cross steers sold by R&D Thompson, Mount Gambier. They equated to $4.10/kg.
Shiloh Park, Mount Gambier, sold 10 PCAS-eligible Hereford steers av 300kg at $1280 or $4.27/kg and a second draft av 276kg at $1280 or $4.64/kg to MWJ Kingston SE.
Heavy Angus steers 450kg-plus sold from $3.64/kg to $4.17/kg; coloured steers 450kg-plus made $3.63-$3.71/kg; Angus steers 360-450kg made $3.72-$4.33/kg; coloured steers 360-450kg made $3.99-$4.14/kg. Angus steers 320-360kg sold at $3.99-$4.44/kg, and coloured steers in the same weight range, made $3.79-$4.31/kg.
Lighter Angus steers 280-320kg sold from $4.01-$4.84/kg, coloured steers in this weight range made from $3.99-$4.33/kg; Angus steers under 280kg sold from $4.24-$4.67/kg; and coloured steers made from $4.06-$4.64/kg.
Heifer competition pushes prices past $4/kg
BUYERS who missed out on steers, pushed up heifer prices in a tussle to secure numbers to put on feed.
Calcarb, Digby, Vic, received the top cents per kilogram price of $4.40/kg or $1320 for three August/September-drop Simmental-crosses, weighing 300kg, bought by Nutrien Adelaide.
The top dollars per head price of $1540 went to six 15-month-old Angus heifers, 406kg, from WF&JG Thompson, Mount Gambier.
Taraleigh, Heywood, Vic, sold nine Angus-cross heifers, av 396kg, at $1480 or $3.74/kg to Creek Livestock.
AB,BE&SD Feast, Port Macdonnell, sold 22 Pasturefed Cattle Assurance Scheme-eligible Allendale-blood Hereford heifers, 12-14mo av 356kg, at $1420 or $3.99/kg to Manser Holdings, plus 23 Hereford heifers av 314kg to Miller Whan & John at $1270 or $4.04/kg.
Double Scotch Pastoral Co, Furner, sold six PCAS-eligible Barwidgee-bld Angus heifers, 11-12mo av 288kg, at $1180 or $4.10/kg to Nutrien Adelaide.
Glencoe Run, Glencoe, sold 19 PCAS-eligible Angus heifers, 10-12mo av 274kg, at $1130 or $4.12/kg to MWJ and a draft of PCAS-eligible Angus-cross heifers av 249kg at $980 or $3.94/kg to Creek Livestock. Their eight Hereford-cross heifers av 269kg were bought by John King at $1030 or $3.83/kg.
Wallaroo Park, Mumbannar, Vic, sold 21 Yarram Park-bld Hereford heifers, 14-15mo av 265kg, at $1080 or $4.08/kg to MWJ.
John King pushed prices on the small yarding of 28 cows with calves at-foot, buying the better-bred lots, including eight Angus cows with eight Angus CAF, not rejoined, from JA&KM Peel, Mount Benson, at $1900; three Angus-Friesian cows with three Angus-cross CAF, not rejoined, at $1620 from ML&CE Clarke, Tantanoola; and four Hereford-Angus heifers with three Angus-cross CAF (one to calve), at $1600 from MS Bowyer & Co, Robe.
Heifers 360-450kg sold from $3.04-$3.82/kg; 320-360kg heifers made $3.72-$3.99/kg; 280-320kg heifers made $3.23-$4.40/kg; while heifers under 280kg sold from $3.08-$4.12/kg.
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