IT WAS Groundhog Day again on Friday, with another cracking store sale at Mount Gambier, where prices showed no signs of easing.
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Demand was still extremely strong, with northern players operating in contention with locals on medium to lighter cattle, and feedlotters going hard on the heavier types.
Elders Mount Gambier's David Creek said prices on heavy cattle were fully firm on last month's sale. But, lighter cattle - both steers and heifers - were "off the charts".
"Overall we had a lighter yarding of cattle today, but buyers were paying between $30 and $40 a head more than in March," he said.
"I'm genuinely astounded at the (continued) strength of the market and I really don't know how much stronger it can get.
"Outside buyers dominated today and belted the locals. Feedlotters were also very strong - when the entire first race of black steers didn't dip under $2000, it's proof of how robust the market is."
Heavy Angus steers weighing 450 kilograms or more sold from $4.14/kg to $4.81/kg; coloured steers 450kg-plus sold from $3.85-$4.66/kg; Angus steers weighing 360-450kg made $4.46-$5.88/kg; and 360-450kg coloured steers returned $4.52-$4.96/kg.
Angus steers from 320-360kg sold from $4.92-$5.22/kg, with coloured steers in the same weight range making $4.55-$5.26/kg.
Lighter Angus steers, 280-320kg, sold from $4.04-$5.94/kg, while the coloured steers in this weight range sold from $4.81-$5.64/kg. Angus steers under 280kg sold from $5.82-$7.79/kg and coloured steers under 280kg made $5.37-$6.13/kg.
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After topping the heifer prices in March, Kent Proprietors, Millicent, hit the top steer price this month, selling 14 Angus steers averaging 511kg at $2360 or $4.62/kg to Teys Australia.
Its 543kg second draft sold to Garrison at $2290 or $4.22/kg.
Horridge Trading, Wattle Range, sold 53, 11-month-old to 12mo European Union-accredited and Pasturefed Cattle Assurance System-eligible Angus steers for an average of $2130 - with the entire draft snapped up by Teys Australia. Its heaviest steers weighing 477kg sold at $2280 or $4.78/kg.
Oliver Nominees sold 21, 18-20mo Granite Ridge-blood Angus steers, 493kg, at $2360 or $4.79/kg to Garrison, which also bought Oliver Nominees' 464kg second draft at $2230 or $4.81/kg.
Garrison bought 163 steers with weights from 320-450kg, including 19 Angus steers, 483kg, at $2280 or $4.72/kg from Jakero, Mil Lel, as well as seven Morgiana-bld Charolais-cross steers, 466kg, at $2170 or $4.66/kg.
Calcarb, Digby, Vic, sold 33 Pathfinder-bld 18mo Angus steers weighing 394-453kg for an average of $2131. A draft of 13 weighing 398kg sold at $2340 or $5.88/kg to Teys Australia.
Regular vendor Dismal Swamp, Kalangadoo, sold 126 PCAS, 10-13mo Angus steers weighing 368-406kg for an average of $1856. Forty-three steers, 406kg, sold to $1960 or $4.83/kg to Hopkins River, Vic.
Wannon Pastoral, Hamilton, Vic, sold 31 September/October-drop Ebony Beef-bld Angus steers, 199kg, for the top price/kg of the sale at $7.79/kg or $1550, along with a 211kg heavier draft at $1550 or $7.35/kg to Creek Livestock account Mitchell.
JS&R Bowd, Strathdownie, Vic, sold 70 PCAS and EU Angus steers, with their 250kg top draft selling at $1650 or $6.60/kg, while a 213kg second draft made $1550 or $7.28/kg to Creek Livestock account Mitchell.
Wellbanite Pastoral Co, Merino, Vic, sold 11 September/October-drop PCAS and EU Dollar Angus-bld Angus steers, 183kg, at $1330 or $7.27/kg to Tablelands.
NH&HL Milne, Gritjurk, Vic, sold a draft of 11 June/July-drop Weeran-bld Angus steers, 290kg, at $1670 or $5.76 to Garrison, with a 242kg lighter draft making $1620 or $4.69 to AJF Brien & Sons, Coonamble, NSW.
LK Earthmoving, Hamilton, sold 16 Hereford steers, 230kg, at $1410 or $6.13 to Timberlands, with a 275kg heavier draft selling to Elders Mount Gambier at $1540 or $5.60/kg.
Milroy Pastoral, Mingbool, sold 14, 18-20mo PCAS Hereford steers weighing 610kg at $2350 or $3.85/kg and a 574kg lighter draft at $2350 or $4.09/kg to Teys Australia.
TN Norman, Kongorong, sold 30, 15-16mo Charolais steers for an average of $2033, with their 477kg heaviest draft bought by Garrison at $2220 or $4.65/kg.
RK&SM Johnson, Benara, sold 46 Warrensville-bld Poll Hereford steers with weights from 280-375kg for an average of $1666. Their draft of 17 steers weighing 280kg sold at $1580 or $5.64/kg to Miller Whan & John.
In the heifers, those weighing 360-450kg heifers made $4.25-$4.76/kg; 320-360kg heifers sold from $4.11-$5.02/kg; 280-320kg heifers returned $4.83-$5.29/kg; and lines under 280kg made from $4.74-$6.70/kg.
Benara Pastoral, Mount Gambier, sold 119 Coolana and Sterita Park-blood Angus heifers weighing 221-290kg for an average of $1496. Rodwells bought all but one draft and paid the top price/kg for heifers at $6.70/kg or $1480 for 29 heifers weighing 221kg.
South Marp, Mumbannar, Vic, topped the per head prices with 27, 14-16mo Angus heifers, 440kg, selling to Garrison at $1950 or $4.43/kg. A 417kg second draft sold to Nutrien Adelaide at $1900 or $4.56/kg.
Kyndalyn, Dartmoor, Vic, sold 26 EU Weeran-bld Angus-cross heifers, 168kg, at $1080 or $6.43/kg to Duncan Brown.
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Griffin Pastoral, Biscuit Flat, sold 101 PCAS Angus-cross heifers, weighing 323-378kg at 12mo, for an average of $1701. Schubert Boers bought 60 of the Griffin Pastoral heifers, paying $1800 or $4.76/kg for a 378kg draft and $1720 or $4.70/kg for a 366kg draft.
Penola Park, Penola, sold 74 PCAS Pathfinder-bld Angus heifers weighing 336-402kg for an average of $1730. Owen Pettingill Livestock bought 22 weighing 349kg at $1700 or $4.87/kg.
Ray Scott Pastoral, Mount Gambier, sold 47 PCAS Angus and Angus-cross heifers, 336-435kg, averaging $1855. Garrison Feedlot bought 21 heifers, 435kg, at $1940 or $4.46/kg.
JS&R Bowd sold 40 PCAS and EU Angus-cross heifers weighing 209kg at $1230 or $5.89/kg to Duncan Brown.
Thirty-two cows with 33 calves at-foot sold at prices similar to March. B&P Cawthorne sold nine Angus heifers with nine Pathfinder-bld Angus CAF at $3400 to Elders Mount Gambier.
Elders was also the winning bidder on 10 Angus cows with 11 Angus CAF from The Farm, Mingbool, paying $3350.
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