In the smallest yarding of store cattle sale at Mount Gambier for some months, 2181 head were sold on Friday at prices mostly firm to slightly easier than in the March store sale.
The absence of the heavy hitters from the north left regular exporters and feedlot buyers to slog it out for the heavier end of the steers weighing more than 360 kilograms but there was plenty of competition for steers under 360kg among local restockers.
Prices for heavy Angus steer 450kg+ were firm on last month's prices, selling from $4.77 to $6.09/kg; coloured steers of this weight sold stronger at the top end making from $5.46 to $5.76/kg.
Prices of Angus steers 360-450kg eased marginally selling from $5.73 to $6.72/kg, while prices of coloured steers 360-450kg eased marginally selling from $4.61 to $5.97/kg.
Prices for medium weight classes of steers were firm.
Angus steers from 320-360kg made from $6.35 to $7.01; coloured steers in the same class sold dearer from $6.05 to $6.80/kg.
Lighter Angus steers 280-320kg were back slightly from last month's high, making from $6.27 to $7.34/kg; coloured steers 280-320kg made from $6.60 to $7.03/kg.
Rates on Angus steers under 280kg were cheaper than last month, selling from $7.20 to $8.10/kg while a limited selection of coloured steers in the same weight range bucked the trend, selling at firmer rates from $7.94 to $8.22/kg.
Thomas Foods International paid the top price of $3010 or $5.84/kg for a draft of 10 Angus steers averaging 515kg; and $2850 or $6.09/kg for a lighter draft, av 468kg, both sold a/c MA Hodgens ,Millicent.
Teys Australia bought 106 steers, including 11, 496kg Angus steers at $2980 or $6.01/kg and 21, 476kg Hereford steers at $2740 or $5.76/kg sold a/c Kent Proprietors, Millicent.
Six Angus-cross steers, av 496kg, at $2820 or $5.69/kg sold a/c T&T Kourmouzis, OB Flat, and five Hereford-cross steers, av 457kg, at $2620 or $5.73/kg sold a/c Haycroft, Nhill, Vic.
Elders Casterton bought 89 Angus steers between 240-300kg, paying $2010 or $8.10/kg for a draft of 10 Pasturefed Cattle Assurance Scheme-eligible Angus steers, av 248kg, sold a/c Gambier Civil, Mount Gambier; 17, 254kg Angus and Angus-cross at $2010 or $7.91/kg sold a/c Telford Bros, Nene Valley; 15 PCAS eligible Angus-cross steers, av 277kg, at $2090 or $7.55/kg sold a/c CG&SM Rentsch, Dartmoor, Vic, and 10, 286kg, eight-month-old to 9mo Angus steers at 286kg at $2100 or $7.34/kg sold a/c SD Spencer Dartmoor.
The top dollar-a-kilogram price was achieved by DE Walker, Millicent, for 12, 242kg PCAS-eligible Hereford steers at $1990 or $8.22/kg, bought by Green Triangle Livestock.
WH&HL Milne, Casterton, Vic, sold 11, 250kg June/July-drop PCAS-eligible Weeran-blood Angus steers at $2010 or $8.04/kg to Nutrien Casterton and a heavier draft of nine, 313kg at $2210 or $7.06/kg to Elders Lucindale.
Avonlea, Strathdownie, Vic, sold 122, 8-10mo PCAS-eligible Angus steers, weighing from 323-436kg, for an average of $2448.
Miller Whan & John a/c Hampel, paid $2240 or $6.93/kg for a draft of 28 of the steers.
Avonlea also sold a draft of eight, 509kg PCAS-eligible Hereford and Hereford-cross steers to a top of $2780 or $5.46/kg to Creek Livestock.
Benara Pastoral, Mount Gambier, sold 135, 11-13mo PCAS-eligible Coolana and Sterita Park-bld Angus steers , with weights from 406-444kg, for an average of $2589. TFI paid $2510 or $6.18/kg for 21, 406kg steers and $2650 or $6.08.kg for 24, av 436kg.
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Only two pens of cows with calves at-foot were offered, TL Sneath, Port Macdonnell sold six Angus-Friesian second-calvers with six Limousin-cross CAF to Elders Millicent, making a top of $3620.
ST&TJ Mattila sold nine pregnancy-tested in-calf Angus cows, joined to Limousin bulls to calve June, to Nutrien Tintinara at $2560.
All classes of heifers were back slightly this month with some very good buying opportunities.
The 450+kg heifers made from $4.72-$5.05/kg; 360-450kg heifers sold from $5.32-$5.96/kg with 320-360kg heifers selling from $5.36-$6.47/kg.
The lighter range 280-320kg heifers sold from $5.23-$6.73/kg; heifers under 280kg making from $5.74-$7.25/kg
Benara Pastoral Co sold 137, 11-13mo PCAS-eligible Coolana and Sterita Park-bld Angus heifers, with weights from 230-274kg, for an average of $1762.
Mingbool Station paid $1930 and the top dollar-a-kilogram heifer price of $7.12/kg for a draft of 32 Benara heifers, av 271kg.
Elders Lucindale bought 17 Ben Le-bld Angus heifers, av 275kg, at $1800 or $6.55/kg and a lighter draft of 13 Angus heifers, av 227kg, at $1430 or $6.30, sold a/c Amity Point, Biscuit Flat.
MJ&BJ Little, Mumbannar, Vic, achieved the equal top dollars a head price of $2300 for a draft of 11, 455kg 18-20mo PCAS-eligible Angus heifers, equating to $5.05/kg to Creek Livestock. A lighter draft, av 427kg, sold to Miller Whan & John at $2270 or $5.32/kg.
Millanda Estate, Mount Gambier, sold 14, 411kg PCAS-eligible Weeran and Nampara-bld Angus heifers, also at $2300 or $5.60, to Miller Whan & John. A lighter draft, av 366kg, sold at $2130 or $5.82 to Elders Mildura, Vic.
Elders Mildura bought 194 feeder cattle, including 12, 343kg Morgiana-bld Charolais-Angus heifers at $2220 or $6.47/kg, sold a/c Jakero, Mil Lel, and 14, 369kg European Union-accredited Landfall-bld Angus heifers at $2200 or $5.96/kg, sold a/c Haavmi Enterprises, Coleraine, Vic.
Griffin Pastoral Co ,Biscuit Flat, sold 38 Glatz Black Angus-bld Angus and Angus-cross heifers, weighing from 310-355kg, for an average of $1880, their heaviest draft, av 355kg, selling to Creek Livestock at $1950 or $5.49/kg.
They also sold 61 PCAS-eligible 12mo Hereford heifers, weighing from 251-317kg, for an average of $1650.
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