NARACOORTE
Yarding: 1533
Steers to $2200
Heifers to $1856
THE Naracoorte combined agents' monthly store cattle sale again entered unchartered territory with heavy steers and heifers lifting another 10c-15c/kg on the previous month's astonishing sale.
The majority of last Thursday's 1533 head yarding were more than 350kg with five SA and Vic feedlots fighting over these cattle.
Generally 500kg plus steers were making $3.70 to $4.05/kg with those 400kg to 500kg in the $4.20-$4.36/kg range and the few lighter steers well in excess of $5/kg.
Topping the sale at $2200 were two Angus crosses from the Lions Club of Naracoorte which had been grown out to raise money for the club.
The 585kg, March-April 2019 drops were knocked down to Hopkins River Beef, Dunkeld, Vic.
The same Vic feedlotter also bought the heaviest pen from Struan Farms, Struan, paying $2150 for 18 Angus weighing 541kg.
Struan Farms had a top draft of 220, 18-21 month old Angus and Angus crosses which averaged $2014.
The best of their black baldies made $2050.
Donaldson Grazing, Naracoorte, also had a couple of pens make in excess of $2000, including 15 Angus steers 18-21 months, 520kg which made $2150.
There were some tremendous quality coloured cattle in the yarding too including 22 EU Shorthorn steers from GR Foster & Co, Bool Lagoon. These 535 kg March/April 2019-drops made $2000 to Creek Livestock, Mount Gambier.
Teys Charlton were also in the bidding action with their tally including 19 April/May 2019 drops, from Wimberina Angus, Penola for $1980. The Wimberina blds weighed 466kg.
Chesapeake Pastoral, Avenue Range, drew strong demand for their September 2019-drop Angus and Charolais-Angus crosses, receiving $4.24/kg for their 150 steers and heifers.
The first pen of the Sterita Park and Pathfinder blds -14 470kg made $4.20/kg to Teys Charlton, equating to $1974.
A pen of 13 Charolais-Angus crosses weighing 400.77kg made $4.34/kg.
Chesapeake's heifers, which were the same age as the steers, sold to $1736 for 21 Angus weighing 417.38kg.
Nutrien Naracoorte livestock manager Brendan Fitzgerald said the average across Chesapeake's steers and heifers exceeded their expectations
"The right cattle have been getting a premium. We thought we would put them in the sale and get the feedlots competing for them which they did," he said.
"We were hoping for $4.20/kg on the steers and the heifers to make $4/kg so we are 15 cents/kg better off overall."
Among the top cents a kilogram rates paid were 32 May/June 2020 drop Angus steers from Kalos Park, Bordertown, which made $1440, equating to $5.31/kg.
The c/kg rates between steers and heifers narrowed with plenty of feeder heifers making $4.00/kg to $4.20/kg.
SA&GE Smith, Lakala, Lucindale, sold the $1856 top price in the category with 12 Angus tipping the scales at 480.83kg.
The 12 May/June 2019 drops made $3.86/kg to Creek Livestock.
P&J Zecevich, Mount Barker, received $1760 for 20 EU, Mandayen bld, Angus crosses weighing 439kg.
HL Robertson, Kingston SE, sold 12 Glatz bld Angus heifers, 405kg for $1680.
Nutrien Adelaide's Trevor Driver bought more than 100 head for northern clients including 10 387kg Angus from Maluka Partners, Keith, for $1610 and 17 Angus, 372kg, from Mundulla Pastoral, Western Flat, for $1590.
Elders Lucindale branch manager and auctioneer Ronnie Dix said vendors who normally keep cattle until late in the year were finding it hard to resist $4.00 to $4.30/kg for heavy steers.
This saw a much heavier yarding than the previous month.
"It is hard to say it is what you thought it would be but there is just so much confidence (in the cattle market) and no cattle around," he said.
"There was just no holes in it. We have seen in the previous sale it has been dear and the good cattle sell well and the cheap cattle suffer a bit but there were lots of average cattle that made top money today."
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