Yea sale reaches $735

Agents described the sale as slightly softer on last week, mainly due to the lighter weight of the cattle yarded and the less-than-ideal weather conditions.

Of the 3500 head advertised, 2342 steers were yarded, with the remainder kept home because of the heat, and a drop in prime cattle prices earlier in the week.

But that said the sale still kept up with recent weaner sales across the State, with the first run of Angus steers selling mainly from $540-$725.

Regular vendor at Yea Pulitano Pastoral, Merrijig Park, Mansfield, topped the sale with the opening pen of 21 March-April 2013-drop Welcome Swallow-blood Angus steers, bought by Rodwells Alexandra at $735.

Pulitano sold 97 Angus steers in the first run of calves, av $645.

Rodwells selling agent Tyson Bush said this top price per head equated to about 185 cents a kilogram.

“In the blacks right along the first couple of lanes sold at 180-185c/kg with not a lot of opportunity and I thought that was pretty good going,” he said.

Other volume vendors in the primary Angus run were Yencken Pastoral Co, Kooyong, Mansfield, selling 117 to $655, av $572, while BM&MM Griffiths, Northwood, Seymour, sold their top 84 to $715, av $640.

Mr Bush said the sale also offered a good run of Euro-cross calves, and although they didn’t have the weight of the Angus steers, they still made about 190c/kg.

Tarrawarra Abbey, Yarra Glen, sold the tops in this section with 10 Charolais-Red Angus steers, Violet Hills and Airlie-bld, selling at $670.

Their first three pens of the same type equated to 35 steers and av $654.

Grifforan Pastoral, Mansfield, achieved the best price for whiteface cattle, selling 20 Rotherfield-bld weaned Poll Hereford steers at $705 to Rodwells Korumburra.

Volume buyer Eddie Hams, Landmark Leongatha, purchased about 300 weaners for bullock fatteners in Gippsland, paying to $680.

He said the market was good buying today, and was impressed with the quality of cattle.

Rodwells auctioneer Adam Mountjoy said the sale was on par with where the job was sitting.

“The heavy cattle looked after themselves, while the lighter ones found it tough enough to find homes,” he said.

“The Hereford job was good, making to $705, with a lot of the cattle remaining in the EU system for which a premium was paid, because the grass-finished EU product is so lucrative.

“We yarded over 300 Hereford EU-accredited steers, which can be hard to find, and a lot sold to repeat buyers.”