NARACOORTE
Yarding: 2620
Steers to $2409 and $6.55/kg
Heifers to $2040
CATTLE producers are capitalising on historic high prices, with a bumper yarding of 2620 steers, heifers, cows and calves meeting good demand at another blistering Naracoorte store sale on Thursday.
TDC director Darren Maney said cows and calves presented good buying, with the rest of the yarding selling to the extreme rates the cattle job has become accustomed to.
"It was fully firm on extreme values in line with the extremely good rates of all other store sales in recent times," he said.
In what he described as an exciting time for the cattle job, Elders agent Ronnie Dix said the large yarding was also fantastic in quality.
"There wasn't a lot of heavy feeders, but we're starting to see some good late winter and spring-drop calves come in," he said.
"The demand for feeder cattle is as strong as ever."
The limited selection of 400 kilogram plus steers sold for $4.60 to $5/kg, those in the 350-400kg weight range made $4.80-$5.20 and those from 300-350kg were generally knocked down for $5.20-$5.75.
Steers under 300kg made anywhere from $5.40-$6.55/kg, with Mr Dix saying that he expected rates on really light cattle to soften soon as buyers would run out of time to get them up to weight by the ideal selling time of November-December.
Mr Dix said the large yarding for this time of year was most likely due to the monthly store sales growing in popularity in their third year, and high prices on offer to sellers.
"The cattle job is so good at the moment, if you were doing it a bit tough with feed and had some Spring calves around you'd certainly be looking to offload because we've never seen numbers like this before," he said.
Heifer rates weren't far behind those for steers, with 350kg plus females making $4.50-$5/kg, 300-350kg heifers demanding $4.70-$5.20/kg and anything under 300kg making $4.90-$5.50/kg.
The tops of the steers reached $2409 for six March 2019-drop steers, av 547.5kg, from M Maldari, Coonawarra.
Making $2130 or $4.79/kg to Thomas Foods International were six Angus steers, av 445kg, from Old Fairview, Lucindale.
TFI also bought six Bull Oak Well-blood Angus steers, av 433kg, for $2120 or $4.90/kg from GT&AK Warner, Eden Valley.
Fourteen Hazeldean-bld Angus steers, av 418kg, from DA Lewis, Tintinara, received $2020 or $4.83/kg, with 24 EU-eligible Angus steers, av 386kg, from IM&JA Pfitzner, Mundulla, making the same $/head but at $5.23/kg.
KM&YM Hegarty sold ten Bendulla and Wongawilli-bld Poll Hereford steers, av 397kg, for $5.02/kg or $1993, while CC Seymour & Co, South Killanoola, Bool Lagoon, received $5.12/kg or $1962 for three Sterita Park-bld Angus and Angus cross steers, av 383.3kg.
Also attracting good money were seven Angus/Shorthorn steers, av 382kg, from Nepowie Station, which made $1950 or $5.10/kg.
McLaren Creek Cattle Company, Beachport, sold a quality run of 209 March 2020-drop Angus, Angus/Simmental and Simmental Cross steers, with 67 of their top Sterita Park-bld Angus, approximately 380kg, making $5.12/kg and another 63, about 30kg lighter, knocked down for $5.22/kg.
Their Sterita Park and Woonalee-bld Angus/Simmentals also sold well, with 21, av 363kg, sold for $5.18/kg or $1883 and a further 15, av 344kg, making $5.24/kg or $1802.
Much lighter types consistently broke $6/kg, with 46 vendor-bred Yalkuri Angus steers, av 232kg, commanding $1520 or $6.55/kg.
Another 35 Angus steers, av 253kg, from Yalkuri, Narrung, received $1640 or $6.48/kg, while 17 August/September 2020-drop Angus steers, av 236kg, from Yaringa Pastoral, Bordertown, reached $6.30/kg or $1487.
Commanding top dollar during the heifer portion were ten Black Simmentals, av 474kg, from Woonallee, Furner, which commanded $2040 or $4.30/kg.
Reaching the same mark were four March 2019-drop heifers, av 530kg, from M Maldari.
Fourteen Nampara-bld Angus heifers, av 417kg, from R&S Tregoweth, Lucindale, made $1880 or $4.51/kg, while 17 Red Angus heifers, av 382kg, fetched $1820 or $4.76/kg for Kalandra Pastoral, Marcollat.
Making $1800 or $4.38/kg were 11 vendor-bred Angus Creek heifers, av 411kg.
Young heifers were in demand as future breeders and anything under 300kg made upwards of $5/kg.
Reaching $1480 or $5.50/kg were 27 Pathfinder-bld Angus heifers, av 269kg, from Wangara Props, Eudunda.
Naranga Pastoral offloaded 24 Stoney Point-bld Angus heifers, av 298kg, for $1370 or $5.37/kg, while 28 Bull Oak Well-bld Angus heifers, av 234kg, from Monash Station commanded $1250 or $5.34/kg.
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