At Yea’s store cattle sale today, prices for steers back on the previous month’s sale.
The trend reflected that the cattle were generally smaller than those sold at the weaner sales earlier in the year and some of the smaller cattle represented the tail end of the weaners.
A pen of five Angus steers offered by Provitaculture made $1000 a head and topped the 1378-head yarding at. They were purchased by a representative from Garrison feedlot.
The next-highest price was paid for a pen of 19 Angus steers offered by Dunoon, of Te Mania and Merridale blood, which fetched $985.
Pens were also knocked down to commission buyers Denis Henderson and Conroy Brothers, who provided a floor to the sale’s prices.
There were a lot of producers in the buying gallery who came to “have a look” and see what the cattle prices were doing. Added to the usual buying gallery were some school-aged children who came to enjoy the excitement of the saleyards during their holidays.
Zac Merrifield, 13, Mangalore joined his pop Ray Boyer and great uncle Trevor Boyer for his first visit to a Yea sale. Trevor is an agent based in Shepparton and was keen to secure a truckload of young steers for a handful of clients.
The Trembath family moved to a property at Glenburn two weeks ago, and were keen to buy their first cattle.
As usual at Yea, there was some good breeding on display and cattle presented in good condition, particularly given the dry condition persisting in the region.
But it seems that cattle prices have softened since the feature weaner sale peaks, for exampleMax and Sam Angelico, Gilmore, consigned 12 of their Jaroma black and apricot Limousin stud steers. They were a bit disappointed with the $820 a head the cattle fetched, saying they would have made $70 more had they been sold a month or more ago.
