PRICES at the Ballarat store cattle sale were $70-$100 a head dearer across the board today thanks to strong competition.
That’s according to TB White’s Xavier Bourke, who said feedlot demand combined with buying strength from south-east South Australia, Western District, Gippsland, and New South Wales, to achieve the exceptional result.
“It was a really great sale,” Mr Bourke said. “Seasonally it’s still tough, but I think a lot of it is being driven by the feedlots.”
Agents yarded about 3025 head all up, with grown steers topping at $1500. Most of the heavy steers made the equivalent of 260-290 cents a kilogram.
Weaner steers were quoted from 280-310c/kg.
One outstanding result in the weaner steers was realised by the Cain Brothers, Laanecoorie, with a pen of 30 Angus steers, 327kg, which hit $1040 or 318c/kg. Kelvin and Graeme Cain sold 101 Angus steers and heifers altogether, and were thrilled with the price.
“It’s a lot dearer than we expected,” Kelvin said. “We’ve never got these sorts of prices before.”
Barry Oddy, Elders, who was representing the brothers, said the cattle job had been dear for more than a month, and he was concerned about how long it would remain at this high level for.
“Have we hit the peak?” he said.
“I think a lot of people are wondering this…there’s certainly a bit of uncertainty out there.”
Grown heifers topped at $1185, while the better-bred heifer weaners predominantly made the equivalent of 250-280c/kg.
Peter Rumler, Wallinduc, sold the highest-priced pen of heifers, with eight Angus, 418kg, making $1185 or 283c/kg. He also sold 12 Angus steers, 385kg, at $1160.
Mingara received the highest price in the joined females, clearing nine Angus cows, Te Mania-blood, pregnancy tested in-calf (PTIC) to an Angus bull to calve July-August 2015 at $1290.
Cows and calves reached $1600 for two Charolais cows with Charolais calves at-foot.
