Strong steer demand at Bairnsdale

Competing for modest yarding of 900 head, restockers paid rates of around 180-200c/kg lwt for grown steers and 210-220c/kg for the better grown and bred weaner steers.

Heifers were mostly sold between 165-185c/kg lwt, while a larger than normal penning of cow and calf outfits met keen interest to top at $1020 a head.

Sharpe Fullgrabe principal Graeme Fullgrabe said buyers from across Gippsland appeared eager to offset earlier earnings after a successful trading year.

He said the annual draft of Frank Pendergast's Pendercourt Hereford and Hereford-Shorthorn heifers and cows from Benambra that had Angus and Shorthorn calves at-foot made $920-$1020.

These were sold to buyers from Sale and east of Bairnsdale, he said, while a line of 20 Hereford-Shorthorn-Simmental re-depastured heifers, with second Hereford and Red Angus March-drop calves at-foot made $810 for vendor Ashley Park.

Wyndham & Co's Colin Jones said with most of Gippsland ensured of a guaranteed start to the spring, prices paid for the better end of steer and unjoined heifer yardings were dearer than the previous Bairnsdale previous market.

But quality was mixed and not to the standard of the previous yarding, Mr Jones said, however prices were better despite the limited success of regular major feeder competition.

Mr Jones said the selection of lighter steer weaners was limited because most regional breeders with later-drop calves on hand have elected to retain these cattle for finishing later in the spring.

Graeme Fullgrabe said that the pens of older, 12-14 month-old grassfed heifers were mostly purchased by local restockers for joining or finishing purposes, while lighter young heifers saw very few sell for less than $400, and those that did, he added, were very small cattle.

See MURRAY ARNEL's full report in this week's Stock & Land.