Mt Gambier sale further strengthens

Buyers who have been holding off waiting for prices to correct, threw caution to the wind to bid amidst strong competition on the 4000-strong yarding on all classes of cattle, prices mostly dearer than the April market.

Miller Whan & John's Peter Creek said there were better quality lines of Hereford and Angus steers yarded, particularly in the 450 kilogram-plus class.

"We've also seen more quality runs of yearling heifers this month," he said.

"Light cattle - anything under 300kg - sold well to strong competition from NSW buyers. This has to be the strongest sale of 2021 so far."

But as producers continue to forward sell, to take advantage of current rates, Mr Creek is expecting there'll be a shortage of cattle in in the coming months.

"Cattle will be in short supply down the track," he said.

"A lot of what's coming through the yards now, are normally set for the August, so we'll definitely have repercussions with numbers looking pretty lean going forward."

Angus steers 450kg-plus sold from $4/kg to $4.82/kg; coloured steers 450kg-plus $3.21-$4.71/kg; Angus steers 360-450kg sold from $4.68-$5.21/kg; coloured steers 360-450kg made $4.44-$5/kg.

Angus steers from 320-360kg sold from $5.04-$5.42/kg, coloured steers in the same weight range made $4.14-$5.42/kg.

Lighter Angus steers 280-320kg sold from $4.93-$6.05/kg, the coloured steers in this weight range sold from $4.57-$5.87/kg; Angus steers under 280kg sold $4.40-$7.30/kg and coloured steers under 280kg sold $4.21-$6.10/kg.

Heavy steers reached the same highs as in April, selling to $2360 for 19 European Union-accredited, Boonaroo-blood Angus/Hereford steers av 498kg, equating to $4.74/kg sold by James Kitschke, Greenbanks, Mingbool.

Thomas Foods International snapped up all 53 of the Greenbanks crossbred steers which weighed between 408-498kg and paid an average of $2206.

Mr Kitschke also sold an outstanding yarding of 171 EU accredited Te Angie blood Poll Hereford steers weighing from 379-492kg which sold for an average of $2031.

The heaviest draft av 492kg sold at $2250 or $4.57/kg to Teys Australia, the remaining 158 steers were snapped up by Princess Royal, Burra.

Tatiara Pastoral, Meningie, sold 98 Pasturefed Certified Assurance Scheme-eligible October/November 2020-drop Coolana and TeMania blood Angus steers with weights from 204-262kg to average $1608.

A draft of 34 weighing 204kg sold to AJF Brien & Sons, Coonamble, NSW, at the highest cents a kilo price for the day of $7.30 or $1490.

PJ&SL Burchell Moorak sold 10 18-month-old Angus steers av 571kg at $2340 or $4.10/kg to Hopkins River, who also bought the Burchell's lighter draft av 527kg at $2220 or $4.21/kg.

Oliver Nominees, Kingston SE, sold 10 Granite Ridge blood Angus steers av 551kg at $2280 to Hopkins River, a second draft av 502kg sold to Teys Australia at $2260 or $4.50/kg.

Terra Nostra Farms, Yahl, sold 56 EU Stoney Point-blood Angus steers 18-20 months, weighing from 514-544kg, for an average of $2296. Their heaviest draft av 544kg sold at $2320 or $4.26/kg to Thomas Foods International. Teys Australia bought their lighter 541kg draft at $2280 or $4.44/kg.

Regular local vendor Dismal Swamp, Kalangadoo, sold 120 Angus and Angus-cross steers weighing from 213-433kg for an average of $1819. TFI bought the heaviest draft of 12-14mo steers av 433kg at $2130 or $4.92/kg.

R Auld, Glencoe, paid $1700 or $7.11/kg for a draft weighing 239kg through Nutrien Mount Gambier.

Kumara SE, Mount Gambier, sold 92 PCAS eligible Pathfinder blood Angus steers 10-12mo from 243-291kg for an average of $1680. A lighter draft weighing 243kg sold to Creek Livestock, Mount Gambier, at $1640 or $6.75/kg.

Staffa Lodge, Mumbannar, sold 18 6mo Coolana and Weeran-bld Angus steers av 225kg at $1420 or $6.31/kg to Elders Naracoorte.

DE Walker, Millicent, sold 10 Hereford-cross steers av 231kg at $1410 or $6.10/kg to Elders Mount Gambier, while AR&MLK Young, Casterton, Vic, sold seven 4-6mo Shorthorn-cross steers av 225kg at $1370 or $6.09/kg to Nutrien Warrnambool.

Nayook South, Allendale East, sold 56 EU and PCAS eligible Hereford steers weighing from 282-318kg to $1720, averaging $1643. Miller Whan & John paid $1680 or $5.87/kg for a draft weighing an average of 286kg.

Willochra, Melrose, sold 14 Hereford steers av 515kg at $2230 or $4.33/kg to Ravensworth, a lighter draft av 469kg sold to Garrison at $2210 or $4.71/kg.

Glenfruin, Tintinara, sold 11 Shorthorn steers av 299kg at $1680 or $5.62/kg to Nutrien Warrnambool.

Kentish & Sons, Mount Gambier, sold 18 PCAS eligible Yavenvale and Boonaroo-blood Hereford-cross steers 20-22mo av 644kg at $2440 or $3.79/kg to Teys Australia. A lighter draft av 526kg sold to Garrison at $2130 or $4.05/kg.

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Heifers prices were stronger, with the exception of the lighter class under 280kg which sold solidly, but didn't reach the highs of April.

The 360-450kg heifers made from $3.50-$4.99/kg; 320-360kg heifers sold from $3.96-$5.27/kg; 280-320kg heifers $3.67-$5.36/kg; heifers under 280kg made from $4.16-$5.93/kg.

Seventeen Boonaroo-blood Angus-cross heifers av 427kg sold by Wattle View, Strathdownie, Vic, made the top dollars a head heifer price at $1970 or $4.61/kg to TFI.

A draft av 413kg sold to Schubert Boers at $1900 or $4.60/kg.

Redding Farming, Sandilands, sold 14 Angus/Murray Grey heifers 8-9mo av 499kg sold at $1920 or $3.85/kg to Nutrien Mount Gambier and Creek Livestock, Mount Gambier, bought their draft of 31 Saler- cross heifers av 274kg at $1140 or $4.16/kg.

Everex, Mount Gambier, sold six 14-16mo Angus heifers, pregnancy-tested empty, av 439kg, at $1920 or $4.37/kg to Creek Livestock; their draft of Hereford heifers 14-16mo av 443kg sold at $1550 or $3.50/kg to Nutrien Mount Gambier.

M Thorn Nominees, Penola, sold 10 Angus heifers pregnancy-tested empty av 440kg at $1900 of $4.32/kg to TFI.

Dismal Swamp, Kalangadoo, sold 60 PCAS eligible September/October 2020-drop Angus and Angus-cross heifers, weighing 253-268kg, for an average of $1442. Duncan Brown paid $1500 or $5.93/kg for a draft of 27.

Amity Point, Biscuit Flat, sold 29 Ben Le-blood Angus heifers av 250kg at $1430 or $5.72/kg to Duncan Brown.

Roxley Park, Yahl, sold 16 Pathfinder-blood Angus steers av 268kg at $1490 or $5.56/kg, while AB Griffin Pastoral, Biscuit Flat, sold 284 PCAS eligible Angus and Angus cross heifers 12-14mo, weighing 239-368kg, to average $1554. Schubert Boers bought 118, paying to $1780 or $4.84/kg. MWJ a/c Lindsay bought 108 of the lighter heifers, paying to a top of $1610 or $4.95/kg.

Lyons Pastoral, Lyons, sold 20 Angus heifers av 236kg at $1380 or $5.85/kg to Nutrien Mount Gambier.

Howard Nominees, Weepar, sold eight PCAS eligible May/June-drop Angus heifers av 261kg at $1440 or $5.52/kg to Mingbool; buying a heavier draft av 311kg at $1500 or $4.82/kg.

Moonee Hills, Meningie, sold 65 Coolana/Stoney Point Angus heifers, June/July 2020-drop with weights from 295-361kg for an average of $1621. Their heaviest draft av 361kg sold at $1800 or $4.99/kg to Elders Mildura.

Mount Muirhead Nominees, Millicent, sold 12 PCAS eligible Angus and Angus cross heifers av 294kg at $1500 or $5.10/kg to MWJ a/c Apsley. A lighter draft av 268kg sold at $1470 or $5.49/kg to Mingbool Station.

A plain run of 49 females with calves at-foot sold to $3050, prices reflecting quality.

The top price was paid for eight Angus-cross heifers with nine CAF from Oakland Park, Mil Lel, to Elders Mount Gambier.

Southern Beef, Heywood, Vic, sold four Angus cows with four Angus CAF to Elders Mount Gambier at $2750.

MM McKinnon, Strathdownie, sold nine Angus cows with nine Angus-cross CAF at $2600 and six Hereford cows with six Hereford-cross CAF at $2500.

MC&JM Northcott, Suttontown, sold 15 Angus/Limousin cows PTIC to Speckle Park bulls, calving June-August at $1920 to Woodall. Four Hereford heifers PTIC to Speckle Park bulls to calve June-August at $1820.