A yarding of just under 2500 head were sold last Friday at Mount Gambier's monthly store sale, with prices generally stronger over most of the classes of cattle.
Numbers of heavier Angus steers dropped off sharply after the first two races, any steers with a bit of weight, regardless of colour, attracted very strong feeder competition with all the usual feedlot buyers back in action.
Heavy Angus steers 450kg+ increased by up to 20c/kilo at the top end on last month's prices making from $5.05 to $6.25/kg; coloured steers of this weight sold firmer making from $5.48 to $5.81/kg. Angus steers 360-450kg were stronger, particularly at the lower end of the scale making from $6.15 to $6.89/kg, while prices of coloured steers 360-450kg showed a significant increase, selling from $5.93 to $6.41/kg.
Medium weight classes of Angus steers from 320-360kg sold from $6.25 to $7.93/kg; coloured steers in the same class sold from $6.54 to $6.59/kg. A small selection of lighter Angus steers 280-320kg sold cheaper, making from $5.34 to $6.59/kg; coloured steers 280-320kg also cheaper, selling from $5.57 to $6.86/kg. Rates on the large yarding of Angus steers under 280kg were dearer at the top end, making from $6-$8.29/kg; a limited selection of coloured steers in the same weight range sold from $5.45 to $6.08/kg.
Kent Proprietors, Canunda sold 62 Angus steers weighing from 430-513kg for an average of $2858. Thomas Foods International paid the top dollars a head price of $3110 or $6.06/kg for 14 of them av 513kg.
TFI had a strong run on the heavy steers, buying 10 Pasturefed Cattle Assurance Scheme-eligible Angus steers 18-20 months av 566kg at $3050 or $5.39/kg, along with a heavier draft av 594kg at $3000 or $5.05/kg sold by TR&CM Little, Kongorong; 18 Angus steers, 20 months av 484kg at $3010 or $6.22/kg from Bridgewater, Portland West, Vic; 15 TeMania-blood Angus steers av 528kg at $3000 or $5.68/kg sold by MJ Cleaver, Yahl, and 12 Angus and Angus-cross steers 18 months at 483kg at $2950 or $6.11/kg from Beach Road, Portland, Vic.
Teys Australia were also in the the thick of it, buying nine PCAS Hereford steers 15-18 months av 498kg at $2850 or $5.72/kg from J Holloway, Tantanoola, and seven PCAS Hereford steers av 504kg at $2760 or $5.48/kg sold by Kent Proprietors.
RELATED READING: Mt Pleasant market prices lift
RELATED READING: Ouyen lamb, sheep prices lift across board
Braemoor, Robe, sold 22 PCAS March 2021-drop Red Angus steers av 449kg at $2780 or $6.19/kg to Teys, with TFI winning the bid on Braemoor's lighter draft av 403kg at $2480 or $6.15/kg.
Willochra sold 18 Hereford steers av 470kg at $2730 or 5.81/kg to Nutrien Mount Gambier, while their lighter draft av 401kg sold to Garrison Feedlot at $2400 or $5.99/kg.
Overdale, Canunda, sold 18 Hereford steers av 444kg at $2720 or $6.13/kg to Teys, while a lighter draft av 366kg sold to Elders Mildura at $2280 or $6.23/kg.
Tuscanna, West Avenue, sold 127 PCAS Angus steers, 6-8 months weighing 210-255kg for an av of $1787, making in the mid $7/kg to a top of $8.29/kg, paid by Elders Heywood for their lightest steers av 210kg, equating to $1740.
J Glare, Mumbannar, Vic, sold 16 PCAS Landfall-blood Angus steers 14-16 months av 353kg at $2800 or $7.93/kg to Garrisons, while a heavier draft av 360kg sold at $2430 at $6.75/kg to Hopkins River.
Willowbank, Millicent, sold 14 PCAS Angus steers 6-8 months av 236kg at $1860 or $7.88/kg to Elders Mount Gambier
Nicolai Farms, Tintinara, sold 99 PCAS Nov/Dec 2021-drop Watervalley-bld Angus steers weighing 213-260kg for an av of $1654. John Chay Livestock bought one of the lighter drafts av 213kg at $1550 or $7.28/kg.
GT Trading sold nine Hereford steers av 283kg at $1940 or $6.86/kg to Elders Mildura, who also bought nine PCAS Speckle Park steers 12 months av 328kg at $2160 or $6.59/kg sold by Carvin Beef, Suttontown.
Selkirk East Pastoral, Strathdownie, Vic, sold 84 PCAS and European Union-accredited Yarram Park and Ironbark-bld Hereford steers weighing 294-324kg for an av of $1870. Miller Whan & John bought 72 of the steers, paying $2120 or $6.54/kg for the heaviest draft av 324kg.
HEAVY HEIFERS FIRM
Prices were generally higher across most heifer classes.
Any heifer with a bit of weight selling at firmer rates 450+kg heifers making from $5.32 to $5.46/kg 360-450kg heifers sold from $5.12 to $6.17/kg with 320-360kg heifers selling from $5.38 to $6.65/kg. The lighter range sold at rates firm on April prices, 280-320kg heifers sold from $5.38 to $6.65/kg, a large yarding of lighter heifers under 280kg making from $5.08 to $6.89/kg.
M&R Smith, Hilgay, Vic, sold 11 Angus-cross heifers 20 months av 474kg at the top dollars a head heifer price of $2590 or $5.46/kg to Garrison Feedlot, while Mingbool Pastoral sold 18 PCAS Angus heifers 16-18 months av 428kg at $2420 or $5.65/kg to Schubert Boers.
WE&JM Ludwig made the top c/kg price of $6.89/kg with 12 PCAS Angus and Angus-cross heifers 8-9 months av 254kg at $1750 to Nutrien Mount Gambier, while their lighter draft av 264kg sold to Coola Station, German Creek, at $1400 or $5.30/kg.
TFI paid $2280 or $6.65/kg for 16 Hereford heifers av 343kg from Overdale, and bought eight Angus heifers 14-16 months av 451kg at $2400 or $5.32/kg from Avonlea, Strathdownie, Vic.
Adhurst Pastoral, Drik Drik, sold 20 April/May 2021-drop PCAS Banquet and Barwidgee-bld Angus heifers av 386kg at $2350 or $6.09/kg to Garrisons, while a lighter draft av 382kg sold to Elders Mildura at $2310 or $6.05/kg.
RELATED READING: April - Mount Gambier market eases in smaller yarding
RCS & NA Smith, Roelle, Eight Mile Creek, sold 20 PCAS Boonaroo-bld Angus heifers av 376kg at $2320 or $6.17/kg to MWJ a/c Kent, while their lighter draft av 361kg sold to MWJ a/c Apsley at $2140 or $5.93/kg
Griffin Pastoral, Biscuit Flat, sold 114 PCAS Glatz Black Angus-bld Angus and Angus-cross heifers, 12 months weighing 281-321kg for an av of $1859. MWJ bought 91 of the heifers, paying up to $6.76/kg for a draft of the lighter cattle weighing 281kg.
FW&ME Uphill, Kongorong, sold 48 Hereford/Shorthorn heifers weighing 251-420kg for an av of $1910, Elders Mildura paid $2150 or $6.13/kg for a draft of 19 av 351kg.
There were 35 cows with calves at-foot offered, with the top price of $3250 paid for five Angus-cross third calvers, not rejoined, with five Angus CAF from Holland Pastoral, Glencoe.
ST&TJ Mattila sold a single Angus cow with a Hereford-cross CAF at $3000; and N&EM Fry, Cape Bridgewater, sold nine Hereford cows with nine Hereford CAF at $2600 to Creek Livestock.
