PRODUCERS played a bigger role in the strong outcome at the Ballarat store cattle sale on Friday.
Although the countryside has only received a light sprinkling of green grass in the local districts, successful buyers came from Coonamble, NSW, all the way to Mount Gambier, SA, to secure cattle.
Gippsland buyers also played an active part, especially from the southern area.
For a market held in the depths of winter on a very cold day, agents offered a good size yarding that offered a solid selection of yearling steers, The larger offering of heifers was also of good quality.
Thomas Foods International was a major competitor purchasing feeder steers and heifers, and some heavy cattle for slaughter. Their purchases equalled around 18 per cent of the total yarding, but they had plenty of competition.
Whitley Bay had first pen honours, offering 14 Angus steers, 548 kilograms liveweight, which sold for $1680 or the equivalent of 306 cents/kg.
These were purchased for a South Gippsland bullock fattener, and the competition for this, and the remainder of the heavy steers (more than 400kg) saw prices ranged from $1150-$1650 or up to 343c/kg.
LD Clark, Mannibadar, sold 19 Angus steers to $1500 to average $1310, and Strath Filan Pastoral Company, six Limousin steers for $1270, which went for slaughter.
Some other cattle were purchased to kill, but processors really had to battle other competition and made few purchases.
There was about ten pens of yearling steers that sold over $1300 but the strength of the sale was for the balance of the steers.
Many pens of steers 10-14 months, weighing less than 400kg, sold to $1300.
Pine Avenue Estate sold 123 Angus and Angus-Hereford steers of varying weights to 412kg, from $745-$1380, av $1030, while The Valley was another large vendor selling 76 Angus steers, 407kg, from $1080-$1300, av $1211.
Many of the steers were in full winter condition, offering only light weights but plenty of potential.
Woodstock Holdings, Baringhup, sold 18 Hereford steers from $1030-$1150. These steers were purchased for grain feeding, as were many others weighing from 320-420kg.
Liveweight prices for many of these lighter weight steers equalled 315-356c/kg with a good number heading straight for the feedlot.
However, of all the steers weighing less than 300kg, sold extremely well with many being backgrounded for future feeding. In fact the competition was so strong it was only the last few pens that sold below $700.
BG,PT&BB Charleson, Kingston, sold 27 Angus steers, Banquet blood, 302-336kg, from $930-$1020.
Glenturk Pty Ltd, Derrinallum, sold 32 Angus steers, Banquet blood, for $740.
At this point on the sale, a buyer had received a late phone call to buy two B-doubles of steers, and this aided some of the very good results for young and lightweight steers.
With agents offering a much better yarding of heifers, many pens sold for more than $900 with many purchased by feedlots.
H Wade & Sons, Bullarook, sold eight Angus heifers for $1250, which went for slaughter.
G Binks sold 34 Angus heifers for $1100 for grain feeding.
Banongill Pastoral, Skipton, sold 57 Angus heifers from $1010-$1190, which was a balance of slaughter and feeder purchases. These heifers, and many others sold for liveweight price equivalents ranging from 280-306c/kg.
Coora Pastoral co sold 58 young Angus heifers from $660-$790, and it took until the last six pens for prices to slip below $600.
Momentum was catching and much stronger producer competition was seen for the joined females and cows and calves, despite processors seeking some of the joined females.
Prices of $920-$1370 for most of the PTIC heifers and cows was better than previous sales.
Tourello Estate, sold 18 Angus heifers, PTIC to Lawson's Angus for calving August-September, sold from $1230-$1370.
The day's final session was cows and calves, which sold very well. A McCarthy sold 10 Angus heifers, first CAF, for $1680, and 35 cows, third and fourth CAF from $1760-$1880 with one buyer taking two pens at the top price.
Other outfits sold from $1360-$1580.
