ALTHOUGH the number of cattle at last Friday's Mount Gambier store sale was down to one of the smallest yardings in recent times, prices still managed to rebound across the majority of classes from the fluctuation of last month.
Heavier-weight Angus steers made up a good portion of the 1108-head yarding - 450kg-plus lots sold at prices around par on last month from $4.48/kg to $5.89/kg.
Heavy coloured steers in the 450kg-plus weight class sold from $4.65-$5.11/kg; while Angus steers 360-450kg sold firm to dearer from $4.70-$6.23/kg.
Creek Livestock paid the top dollars a head Angus steer price of $3380 or $5.14/kg for seven Pasturefed Certified Assurance Scheme-eligible 14-16 month-olds weighing 658kg from CE Kershaw & IL Smith, Mumbannar, Vic.
Mia Mia, Portland, Vic, sold 38 PCAS 14mo TeMania and Pathfinder-blood Angus/Simmental steers weighing 379-460kg to a top of $2710, averaging $2541, while a draft of 18 steers av 409kg sold to Nampara Pastoral at $2550 or $6.23/kg.
EJ&SK McGrath, Strathdownie, Vic, sold 34 Hereford/Shorthorn steers, weighing 538-611kg, av $2727. Their heaviest draft av 611kg sold at $2840 or $4.65/kg to Creek Livestock.
The McGrath family also sold 11 Angus-cross steers, 20-24mo av 615kg to Hopkins River at $2940 or $4.78/kg and 40 Angus-cross steers 16-20mo weighing 486-543kg to $2760, av $2715.
Thomas Foods International bought 155 heavier Angus steers, 360-573kg, including 16 PCAS Angus steers 17-19mo av 573kg at $2960 or $5.17/kg from G Ellison & Co, Kalangadoo.
TFI paid $2920 or $5.12/kg for 16 Angus steers, 20mo av 570kg; and $2830 or $5.21/kg for a lighter draft av 543kg sold by D&J Spencer, Dartmoor, Vic.
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Medium-weight Angus steers 320-360kg sold from $5.61-$5.77/kg; while coloured steers in the same range sold firmer on July rates, making to $5.83/kg.
Amity Point, Biscuit Flat, sold 13 PCAS Angus steers 10-12mo av 361kg at $2130 or $5.90/kg to Thomas DeGaris & Clarkson; while a lighter draft av 305kg sold to Andrew Wale at $1990 or $6.52/kg.
Angus steers 280-320kg sold from $5.37-$6.52/kg; while coloured steers 280-320kg made to $5.93/kg.
Rates paid on Angus steers under 280kg were from $6.48-$6.63/kg; while coloured steers in the same weight range made $5.70-$6.24/kg.
Elders Albury paid the highest c/kg rate of $6.63/kg or $1590 for 12 Angus-cross steers av 240kg sold by JDR Grazing, Allendale.
JF&MR Jolly sold seven PCAS Murray Grey steers 6-8mo av 275kg at $1660 or $6.04/kg to King & Co.
The Ridge, Glenburnie, sold 14 PCAS 12mo TeMania and Pathfinder-bld Angus steers av 247kg at $1600 or $6.48/kg to Andrew Wale; a heavier draft av 352kg sold to Elders Mildura at $2030 or $5.77/kg.
TDC bought eight PCAS and European Union-accredited Hereford-cross steers 9-11mo av 343kg at $2000 or $5.83/kg, and a second draft av 300kg at $1780 or $5.93/kg sold by GT Trading, Lucindale.
LR Leake, Mount McIntyre, sold 15 Hereford steers 9-10mo av 242kg at $1510 or $6.24/kg to Green Triangle Livestock.
HEIFERS FIRM
MOST classes of the 399 heifers on offer sold firmer.
Heavy heifers 450kg-plus sold from $4.96-$5.07; heifers 360-450kg sold from $5.01-$5.48/kg; while 320-360kg heifers made $5.54-$5.67/kg.
Lighter weight heifers 280-320kg made $5.05-$5.62/kg; while lighter class heifers under 280kg sold from $4.98-$7.07/kg.
Hamilton's Run, OB Flat, sold 22 PCAS Angus heifers 15-16mo weighing 389-491kg av $2277. Garrison Feedlot bought the entire drop, paying to $2490 or $5.07/kg for eight of the heaviest heifers av 491kg.
Garrison Feedlot also bought two drafts of PCAS April/May 2021-drop Banquet and Barwidgee-bld Angus heifers av 464kg and 395kg at $2300 or $4.96/kg and $1980 or $5.01/kg respectively, sold by Adhurst Pastoral, Drik Drik, Vic.
Creek Livestock paid the top c/kg heifer price of $7.07/kg or $1330 for 24 Boonaroo-bld Angus heifers av 188kg, along with a heavier draft av 218kg at $6.47/kg or $1410 sold by Bassendean, Strathdownie, Vic.
Creek Livestock also bought 24 PCAS TeMania and Pathfinder-bld Angus heifers av 232kg at $1450 or $6.25/kg, along with a lighter draft of 15 av 220kg at $1310 or $5.95/kg sold by The Ridge, Glenburnie.
Almost everything was dearer across the board this month.
- BEN JONES
JDR Grazing, Allendale East, sold 12 Angus heifers av 224kg at $1450 or $6.47/kg to TDC.
Volume vendor of the day, Boolringar Station, Lucindale sold 117 EU/PCAS July 2021-drop Angus heifers weighing 230-275kg to a high of $1610, av $1511.
A lighter draft of the Boolringar heifers av 251kg were bought by Green Triangle at $1540 or $6.14/kg.
All things considered, it was "a pretty good market", according to O'Connor & Graney's Ben Jones.
"Almost everything was dearer across the board this month," he said.
"We expected it would be a pretty solid sale because it's coming off the back of an improving prime market."
Before the large crowd of buyers, vendors and agents in attendance at the sale, MWJ agent Peter Creek delivered a touching tribute on the recent passing of Don Whan, who was one of Miller Whan & John's founding partners, was a stalwart of the Mount Gambier saleyards and played an integral part in the development of the complex.
