BEING the closest major weaner yarding to Gippsland so far this year paid off for the Elders Blue Ribbon sale at Yea today (Friday).
Gippsland buyers turned out in force, putting a solid floor in the market where 3854 head of cattle were offered.
Elders Yea auctioneer Jim Hutchinson said South Gippsland bullock fatteners returned this year to underpin the sale.
“The top run of black steers today made to $790 and the markets been quoted that most of the steers today made from $1.80 up to $1.95 in place,” he said.
Buyers attending from the south included Rohan McRae and Ross McRobert, Elders Korumburra, who purchased 400 steers between them for South Gippsland graziers, both paying to $730 a head.
Top-price honours were shared between the opening pen of Angus steers and the first pen of Euro-cross steers, both selling at $790.
Volume vendor Michael and Sue Spagnolo, Boxhill Pastoral Co, Yea, made this for their top two pens of 42 February-March 2013-drop Angus steers, Coonmara-blood.
The Boxhill steers were purchased by repreat-buyer John Nolan and will be put onto grass at his Taggerty property before being sold into JBS.
Account Hauser Bros, Murrindindi, also achieved $790 for their pen of 20 Ashwood Park and Paringa-bld Charolais-Hereford steers awarded best presented Charolais pen of the sale.
Peter Hauser, Hauser Bros, said the sale was tough enough, and he was expecting to make more than $800 for the big heavy calves, weighing in at 450kg.
The first run of Angus weaners, February-April 2013-drop and weighing 350-400kg, sold mainly between $650-$775, with agents quoting this as $10-$15 dearer than recent sales in the north-east.
Paull & Scollard Myrtleford agent Dan Ivone said the Gippsland buyers made all the difference, as did the amount of calves weaned prior to the sale.
Robert Woodward, buying for Garrison Feedlot and Woodward Abattoir, was a volume buyer when the sale moved to the heifer lane, taking home a majority of pens in the first run of Euro cross females.
This included the top-price heifers offered by AT&GE Christie, Glenalon, Yea.
They sold their 14 Paringa-bld Charolais-Hereford heifers, weighing 405kg, to Mr Woodward at $645.
Boxhill Pastoral Co, Yea, topped the black heifer offering, with the sisters of their top-priced steers, the top 22 making $605.
Mr Hutchinson said heifers made between 150-160c/kg or better in some places.
- Full story in the Stock & Land January 16 edition
