LOCAL graziers who have been sitting on their hands for the past couple of months waiting for cattle prices to stabilise, finally threw caution to the wind on Friday at Mount Gambier's monthly store market and joined the throng of local feedlotters and northern raiders all trying to get a look in to bid on the 4194 head of cattle yarded.
Prices held firm on most classes of cattle and hovered just above or just under last month's rates - except the lighter classes, which mostly sold dearer.
"We're creating a perfect storm here" O'Connor & Graney's Ben Jones said.
"Producers are selling two to three months earlier than they normally would to take advantage of the money that's around now, rather than hanging on for another few months.
"Buyers who have been waiting for prices to go down have realised that might not happen now and are going all in, to get access to good cattle.
"Next month, I'd be surprised if we had 2500 head in and they'll be dearer because good cattle will be pretty scarce."
Related reading: Mt Gambier store sale grosses $6.6m
Buyers with orders to fill from Strathalbyn, Leongatha, Vic, and Coonamble, Tamworth and Albury in NSW bought up big as the B-doubles rolled in to load up and head north.
Heavy Angus steers weighing 450 kilograms-plus sold from $4.01/kg to $4.61/kg, and the heaviest coloured steers returned $3.90-$4.82/kg.
Angus steers weighing 360-450kg sold from $4.34-$5.04/kg, with 360-450kg coloured steers making from $4.33-$5.33/kg. Angus steers from 320-360kg sold from $4.83-$5.60/kg, and coloured steers in the same weight range sold from $4.11-$5.34/kg.
Lighter Angus steers, 280-320kg, sold from $4.98-$5.99/kg, while coloured steers in this weight range made $3.54-$6.20/kg. Angus steers under 280kg sold for $5.64-$7.57/kg and the lightest coloured steers returned $4.85-$7.37/kg.
Local producer Leigh Kent, Kent Props, Millicent, paid the top price/kg of $7.57 - equating to $1430 a head - for 21 Pasturefed Cattle Assurance System-eligible, September-October 2020-drop, Boonaroo, Banquet and Dollar Angus-blood Angus steers weighing 189kg from Muntham, Carapook Vic.
Muntham's draft of 154 steers, weighing 189-235kg, averaged $1530.
Dismal Swamp, Lyons, Vic, sold 80 rising two-year-old Angus steers, 567-588kg, for an average of $2301 and once again hit the top steer price at $2380 or $4.05/kg with a 588kg draft sold to Hopkins River.
Savannah Simmentals, Lucindale, sold 31 PCAS Simmental-cross steers, weighing 230kg at six months old, at $1490 or $6.48/kg to CK Collins.
P&Y Douglas sold 19 Angus and Angus-cross steers, 16-18mo and 562kg, at $2270 or $4.04/kg to Hopkins River, with their draft of 19, 516kg Angus-crosses selling to Thomas Foods International at $2280 or $4.42/kg.
Pieracle, Casterton Vic, sold 102, August/September-drop, PCAS, Boonaroo-bld Angus steers, 236-325kg, averaging $1645. A 236kg lighter draft sold to AJF Brien & Sons, Coonamble at $1560 or $6.61/kg.
Greenbanks, Mingbool, sold 109 European Union-accredited Te-Angie-bld Poll Hereford steers weighing 155-269kg, averaging $1414. A 196kg draft of 34 sold to SEJ Leongatha at $1445 or $7.37/kg, with a 155kg lighter draft selling to Ray White Albury at $1130 or $7.29/kg.
Related reading: Rain could shoot prices to yet another record
White Hawk Lagoon, Glencoe, sold 47 Speckle Park steers, 205-395kg, averaging $1610, with their 395kg top draft sold to Elders Mildura, Vic, at $1830 or $4.63/kg, and a 205kg draft sold to Green Triangle Livestock at $1440 or $7.02/kg.
Ravensworth, Maude, NSW, bought 36 PCAS Simmental-cross steers from MH Burzacott & M Emery, Robe. The 475kg heaviest draft sold at $2170 or $4.58/kg and a 450kg draft sold at $2170 or $4.82/kg.
Twenty-eight cows with calves at-foot sold to $3400, with the top money paid by John Chay & Co, Millicent, for three Angus-Friesian cows with three Charolais CAF from VR Kent, Millicent.
Green Triangle Livestock paid $3000 for five black baldy cows with six Angus CAF from RT&R Paltridge .
In a complete dispersal by Estate GL Hiscock, Merino, Vic, 88 Angus heifers and cows, pregnancy-tested in-calf to Bassano Angus bulls, averaged $3181, with the top pen of PTIC heifers selling at $2480 to John Chay & Co, Millicent.
The same vendor also sold 53 Angus heifers, 241-477kg, averaging $1558. Its 241kg draft made the top heifer price/kg at $6.10/kg or $1470, paid by JBR Gunnedah, NSW.
Heifers weighing 450kg-plus sold from $3.45-$4/kg; 360-450kg heifers made from $3.44-$4.61/kg; 320-360kg heifers returned $4.27-$4.80/kg; 280-320kg heifers were $4.02-$5.40; and heifers under 280kg made $4.17-$6.10/kg.
The top heifer price/hd of $2050 - equating to $3.49/kg - was paid by Creek Livestock for 21, 587kg Angus heifers from Kent Props.
Benara Pastoral, Mount Gambier, sold 80 Coolana and Sterita Park-bld Angus heifers averaging $1506. Its 253kg draft sold to Miller Whan & John account Apsley at $1480 or $5.85/kg.
White Hawk Lagoon sold 60 Jackungah-bld Speckle Park heifers weighing 214-344kg at an average of $1349. Ray White Albury bought a draft of 21, 215kg, at $1210 or $5.65/kg.
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