Wodonga kicks off NE sales

This day heralds the start of the selling season for North East Victoria and this sale is an Angus sale offering both steers and heifers.

Following on from this is the Brian Unthank Rural, Ruaro Livestock, Ray White Schubert Boers and Paull & Scollard sale the next day, January 9. Again this sale is an Angus steer and heifer sale.

These two sales attract a lot of feedlot competition from the northern districts, and local feedlots and opportunity feeders.

Equally, many producers purchase steers to background for future feedlot orders, while heifers sell to strong feedlot and processor competition.

Over many years, these sales have relied on competition from the northern regions of New South Wales, and southern Queensland.

This year will be no different, and with some recent rain in these areas, any extra competition will enhance a sale that is shaping up to be one of the best.

The recent live shipping order, seen in November and December sales, may not return in January, which will please many producers.

Without that competition, producers may get a look in and buy some of the lighter weight and younger calves.

However, most agents agree the good season throughout most of 2014, and recent heavy rain, will produce more weight in these 2015 sales.

The general trend has been for calves to be 30-50 kilograms liveweight heavier this season.

Expectations are high for these two days, and the days to follow the next week.

The 2015 sales will not have to rely as heavily on the north as local producers have been selling steers and bullocks in the vicinity of $1000-$1500. This has, and will see stronger competition from the local areas.

Already, the north is showing signs of having some influence at these sales.

Forward bookings for northern processors are already indicating a lift in steer and bullock prices.

February contracts for delivery of grainfed steers at Kilcoy are already 500c/kg cwt.

Bullock and steer prices in northern sales in the first week of December have averaged about 202c, about 20c/kg lwt higher than Victorian sales.

It is no wonder agents and processors are getting excited.

Following on in the next week, January 15 and 16 completes the weaned steer and heifer section of the Wodonga sales.

Corcoran Parker, Landmark and Elders will offer non-Angus breeds, steers and heifers, and the next day, January 16 will see the independent agents offer their clients' cattle.

These sales will also be heavily influenced by local competition, as not all producers fatten Angus cattle.

While there are usually buyers at Wodonga for these two days, the demand is by no means compromised.

Steers and heifers on these two days can, and do sell well.

Heifers offered on these two days, and the previous week, usually sell to solid feedlot competition, and aided by strong producer demand.

Many of the heifers are grain-fed for the supermarket trade, and attain solid prices.

Strong influences here will be the need for more breeding stock.

Many cows have been, and will continue to be culled, and coupled with a very good season, replacements will be needed.

Producers can be influenced by higher prices for cull cows, which may get even higher in the early months of 2015.

Producers will be able to sell cull cows from $800-$1100, or more, and replace them with quality bred heifers from $500-$750.

Week three at Wodonga usually commences with a F1 female sale, but with prime vealer prices failing over the past couple of years, there is less demand for these.

There will still be F1 females sold, but they will be combined and sold with other cows and calves, and joined females, on January 23.