PRICES at the Naracoorte combined agents monthly store cattle sale on Thursday were cheaper again than the previous month but several agents noted that it was better than they expected given the lacklustre prime cattle market.
In the 1834 head yarding, steers topped at $1900 and averaged $1327 and the heifers topped at $1580 and averaged $1022.
The sale's top priced steers- two 415kg Charolais crosses- were not the heaviest in the yarding but the weight of good saw them make $1900 with the proceeds going to the Variety Club of SA.
They were donated by Malcolm and Kaylene Pridham. Karatta Pastoral, Cadgee, and bought by their agent PPHS's Richard Harvie.
"They bought a little heifer about seven years ago for about $90 and it got in calf by mistake and since then it has had three lots of twins, they donate the calves off that cow every year," Mr Harvie said.
AL&TT Cosentino received $3.90/kg for five March/April 2022 drop Angus weighing 457kg This equated to $1782. They were bought by TDC Livestock & Property.
The previous pen C&T Hahn, Cooee Waters, Kybybolite, sold 10 October/November 2021 drop Angus for $3.86/kg. At 451kg they made $1741 to Teys Charlton.
Another nine 393kg steers from the Hahns- also Granited Ridge blds- made $1534.
An outstanding draft of 182 March/April 2022 drop Simmental/Hereford, Herefords and Angus/Herefords from Arthur Facey Pty Ltd, Millicent, were the sale's stand outs.
The tops in the draft - 43 steers weighing 408kg sold for $1630 to Casterton, Vic, feedlotter Peter Cleary through Schubert Boers
Another 25 377kg made $1600, selling to Nutrien Mount Gambier.
"We thought they may make $3.80/kg but they made $4/kg to $4.25/kg so we are very happy although it is back $700-$800 on last year," Owen Merrett said.
He said the Woonallee Simmental and Bendulla Hereford blds were 35kg lighter than last year's draft but ready to go ahead for the buyers.
"They have only been out on the bean stubbles for one month and there were not many beans on the ground but with their breeding they will do well where they are going."
AJ&LC Facey, Millicent, also offered 123 well-bred Hereford steers and heifers which topped at $1590 for 31 368kg steers.
The sale's opening pen, seven February 2022 drop Angus crosses from Linda-Vista, Mundulla, made $1540 selling to Elders Naracoorte.
C&J Dicker Earthmoving, Kingston SE, sold 23 yearling Angus steers weighing 342kg for $1460 and B&H Maddern & Sons, Naracoorte, sold 14 May/June 2022 drop Angus for $1440. They were 356kg.
JF Schulz, Padthaway, topped the heifer offering with five Pathfinder bld Angus, 485kg making $1580.
Other notable heifer sales included 24 396kg Angus from Karatta which sold for $1420 to Elders Strathalbyn.
The Hahns sold 16 Angus 390.6kg for $3.50/kg or $1367.
A pen of 13 July 2022 drop, 378kg Limousin-Angus heifers from LD&A Zanker, Coonalpyn, made $3.42/kg or $1293.
Arthur Facey's Hereford heifers - 22 weighing 323kg made $1100 while the best of the Angus/Herefords which were two kilograms lighter made $1050.
Elders auctioneer Nathan McCarthy said steers were back $200 to $250 a head on the February store sale.
"At this time last month I thought it had bottomed out but I was proven wrong, I don't think it will go too much lower otherwise there are going to be some big impacts on the industry and on farming," he said.
Mr McCarthy quoted heavier Angus heifers $3.20-$3.50/kg, heavy coloured heifers $3.10-$3.40/kg and said on the lighter end heifers traded between $3.50/kg up to $4.20/kg
He said some cattle in the yarding were showing the effects of autumn and expected a much smaller April yarding.
"Looking at the cattle coming in you could tell people are running out of feed but people that have plenty of feed around them will hold onto them when we get a few opening rains will hold on them to heavier cattle to get rewarded," he said.
Southern Australian Livestock auctioneer Mat MacDonald said steers were about $100 better than he expected although heifers were "$100 the other way".
"Most of the steers were $3.60/kg to $4/kg while the majority of the heifers were $3.00/kg to $3.40/kg- there was about a 40c gap over everything whether it was light or heavy," he said.
Mr MacDonald said with next week's rain forecast in the eastern states and a green tinge in some paddocks in the SE he was optimistic that store prices could pick up in the coming month.
"A few people are starting to see the opportunity to put some away for when it kicks away, you could see today that everyone had $900 to $1000 to spend which keeps a floor in it," he said.
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