A wider spread of buyers lifted rates on many pens of steers at the Naracoorte combined agents monthly store cattle sale on Thursday, although demand fluctuated throughout the auction.
Angus steers topped at $1780 but there was a big difference in the rates that South East, Riverland, Murraylands, Mid North and Adelaide Hills buyers were willing to pay for certain pens.
The sale's heaviest pen of steers, Hereford crosses weighing 552 kilograms, made just $1350.
Nutrien Ag Solutions Naracoorte auctioneer Brendan Fitzgerald was surprised by the weights and quality of the 1031 head yarding given it was the depths of winter.
With more buyer competition from feedlotters and backgrounders than the previous month, he quoted steers 30-40c/kg dearer in places but said there was a big drop off in rates of the secondary types.
"I was buying steers down to 320kg to go into a feedlot and I bought a couple of pens of black baldies at $3/kg early in the sale so then I could pay $3.50/kg on a few later pens, there were a pen of 318kg steers which made $3.70/kg which is pretty good money," he said.
Steer top price honours of $1780 went to Emu Ridge with eight January/February 2022 drop Angus crosses which weighed 493kg.
These Bull Oak Well bloods were bought by Princess Royal Station, Burra.
There were plenty of 400 kilogram plus cattle in the yarding with several bullock fatteners with soaking paddocks deciding to offload a few numbers.
One of these was RHD&DJ Anderson, Furner, who sold 72 EU accredited, Bull Oak Well and Stoney Point bld Angus to a $1770 high.
This was for a pen of 28 of the August/September 2021 drops which sold to Teys Charlton.
Another 18 weighing 464kg sold for $1750 to Princess Royal.
The Anderson's agent PPHS's Ashley Braun was pleased with the prices.
"We have seen in the last few weeks $3.65-$3.70/kg for these feeder cattle but if they are black and EU they command a bit more," he said.
Roblyn Pastoral Company, Reedy Creek, received $3.70/kg for 17 February/March 2022 drop, Pathfinder bld Angus weighing 466.18kg. This was $1725 a head.
Teys Charlton added 17 516.47kg Angus steers from R&P Edge, Reedy Creek, to their tally for $3.40/kg or $1756.
For just one dollar less GK&KL Turnbull, Mingbool, sold 10 March/April 2022 drops weighing 481kg for $3.65/kg to Princess Royal.
Longtrail Farms, Parilla, also had a few pens of well-bred steers including 15 452kg Angus which made $1700.
One of the few pens of steers to crack the $4/kg mark were 22 Angus from RL Willing and KL Furler, Hindmarsh Tiers.
At 330.23kg these Pathfinder blds made $4.02/kg or $1327.
Saltbush Ag, Lucindale, topped the heifer category with 13 March/April 2022 drops which weighed 436kg.
The pregnancy tested empty Angus sold to Creek Livestock, Mount Gambier for $3.50/kg or $1529.
Another Saltbush Ag pen which were lighter at 397kg made $3.34/kg or $1329 to Nutrien Jamestown.
Roblyn Pastoral's 23 February/March 22 drop heifers also sold well.
The 442.83kg animals were knocked down at $3.30/kg to Princess Royal or $1461.
Struan Valley Pastoral, Struan, was the sole vendor of cows with calves with eight head. The two Speckle Parks in their draft -March 2021 drop- attracted the best money selling for $1280.
Mr Braun said heavier heifer rates were 20-30c/kg better than the June sale driven by feedlotters as well as some breeder competition.
"From what I have seen at Mount Gambier and Mortlake in the past week they were at $2.80/kg to $2.90/kg whereas we saw up to $3.30/kg in places," he said.
"People can see yes it is wet but the grass is not far away with some sunshine and spring arriving in a few weeks time."
Mr Fitzgerald agreed well-bred black heifers sold above last month's prices but noted that some heifers still made only $700 to $800 which were "very buyable".
"There is a bit of light shining at the moment but down the track it is an unknown the numbers of well finished cattle out there," he said.
