The sun was shining as the Strathalbyn market got underway yesterday, with fierce bidding competition and a regained job confidence that drove prices above agent expectations.
Nutrien Ben Dickenson said the sale was "well above expectations".
He said some of the initial panic about foot and mouth disease had settled down a little.
"That's been a confidence come back into the job," he said.
"We are probably 30-40 cents better than where we thought, going off the back of AuctionsPlus and the South East sales."
Topping the market was eight 439 kilogram, July/August 2021-drop, Hereford steers from Shoal Point, Kimba, which made $2400 or $5.47/kg, while RL Carmichael, Weetulta, offered seven, March/April 2021-drop, Hereford steers, which sold at $2290 or $5.57/kg.
A run of 19 January/February 2022-drop, Temania-blood Angus steers, av 234kg, from Murray Glen Lee made $1620 or $6.92/kg, while a pen of 16, 317kg, September/ October 2021-drop, offered by Reichstein Pastoral, Coonalpyn, sold at $2100 or $6.62/kg.
In the heifer offering, a pen from Reichstein Pastoral, Coonalpyn, which held two, 243kg weaned September/October-drops topped at $6.99/kg or $1700.
A run of 17, 257kg, October/November-drop, Speckle Park-Angus crosses, offered by Fullerville Investments, Adelaide Plains, sold at $1490 or $5.80/kg.
A pen of 10, 354kg August/September-drop, heifers, offered by Koonalunda Graziers, Meningie, made $1850 or $5.53/kg.
Rosehill Farm, Harrogate, sold 13, 376, March/April 2021-drop, weaned, vendor bred heifers at $1810 or $4.81/kg.
A run of three cows with three June/July-drop calves at-foot from SP&C Ollett, Murray Bridge, topped the offering at $2500, while another unit of vendor-bred black baldies, running with a bull, offered by Tauraway Farm, made $2470.
Elders Strathalbyn agent Danny Reynolds said the sale was surprisingly good, considering their expectations.
"It was a fair bit stronger than we thought," he said.
"The sale was ran under very trying conditions, as it was not very pleasant conditions here (Thursday) afternoon.
"The feeder job was good, around $5.50-$5.60/kg on your heavy end steers and your store job, as you got down lighter, were still selling at very good rates."
The next Strathalbyn store sale is September 16.
