SOARING confidence in the market pushed cattle prices to record highs at the monthly Mount Gambier store cattle sale on Friday - steers making to $2.86 a kilogram and heifers to $2.68/kg.
O'Connor & Graney's Ben Jones said there had been a general $50 to $70 increase over all classes of cattle from the April market.
He said that although the quality was down on last market, demand was still very good and the prices higher than anyone had anticipated.
"There were plenty of buyers who had $700-$800 to spend, but who went home empty handed," he said.
The usual feedlot competition underpinned prices on heavier cattle from 330kg - Thomas Foods International, Teys Australia, and Landmark Kingston setting the benchmark.
There was strong local support on runs of younger, lighter cattle with prices for coloured cattle lifting off the back of very strong prices for Angus and Angus-crosses.
Heavy Angus steers 400kg-plus made $2.39-$2.88/kg; 350-400kg $2.38-$2.85/kg; 300-350kg $2.51-$2.86/kg; and under 300kg $2.60-$2.80/kg.
Heavy coloured steers 400kg-plus made $2.12-$2.39/kg; 350-400kg $2.50-$2.79/kg; 300-350kg $2.38-$2.63/kg ;and under 300kg $2.71-$2.86/kg.
Heifers 400kg-plus made $2.10- $2.35/kg; 300-400kg $2.36-$2.68/kg; and under 300kg $2.41-$2.92/kg. East Greenwald, Heywood, Vic, sold 15 Angus-cross steers, 11-12 months, 420kg, at $1210 or $2.88/kg to Teys Australia for its Charlton Feedlot. Teys also bought 11 Angus steers, 451kg, at $1270 or $2.81/kg a/c Persona Park and 14 Pathfinder-blood Angus steers, 335kg, at $940 or $2.80/kg a/c South Gap.
Killarnie, Mingbool, sold 10 Pathfinder-blood Angus steers, 410kg, at $980 or $2.39/kg to Teys Australia. The same vendor also sold 24 Pathfinder-blood Angus steers, 305kg, at $850 or $2.78/kg; 16 Pathfinder-blood Angus steers at $710 and four Murray Grey-Angus steers at $800, all going to Landmark, Kingston.
Pascoe Park, Mount Schank sold, 10 Angus steers, 447kg, at $1040 or $2.32/kg to TFI. The same vendor also sold six Angus steers, 346kg, at $870 or $2.51/kg to Landmark Kingston.
G&D Dobbe, Dartmoor, Vic, sold 13 Pasture-fed Certified Assurance System-accredited Angus steers, 10-12 months, 336kg, at $895 or $2.66/kg and a second run of 11 Angus-Simmental-cross steers 10-12 months PCAS-accredited, 357kg, at $950 or $2.66/kg, both pens going to Landmark, Kingston.
Jamalu, Mount Gambier, sold 14 Angus steers, 332kg, at $950 or $2.86/kg to Teys Australia and 13 Angus steers, 273kg, at $775 or $2.83/kg.
Tilly Swamp, Kingston, sold nine Angus steers, 357kg, at $1020 or $2.85/kg to Teys Australia and three Murray Grey cross steers, 385kg, at $1015 or $2.63/kg.
Hunter Bros, Kingston, sold 19 Angus steers, 9-10 months, 317kg, at $885 or $2.79/kg, 15 Murray Grey steers 9-10 months, 315kg, at $795 or $2.52/kg and 15 Murray Grey steers 9-10 months, 315kg, at $790 or $2.50/kg, all bought by Landmark Kingston. The same vendor also sold eight Murray Grey steers, 361kg, 9-10 months, at $950 or $2.61/kg to TFI.
Redruth, Casterton, Vic, sold 15 Boonaroo-blood Angus steers, August/September 2014-drop, 269kg, at $770 or $2.86/kg to Elders Dartmoor, Vic. The same vendor also sold 31 Boonaroo/Pathfinder-blood Angus steers August/September 2014-drop, at $710 and 23 Boonaroo-blood Angus steers, August-September 2014 drop $655 to Landmark Casterton, Vic.
Tuscanna, Biscuit Flat, sold 20 Angus steers, 5-7 months at $645 and 9 Angus steers, 5-8 months, at $635.
Kleenview, Casterton, Vic, sold 16 Hereford steers, 20-22 months, 439kg, at $1050 or $2.39/kg and eight Hereford steers, 419kg, at $905 or $2.16/kg.
RK&SM Johnson, Benara, sold eight Warrensville-blood Hereford steers, 302kg, at $780 or $2.58/kg, to Landmark Kingston.
Sunray Pastoral, Hatherleigh, sold four Simmental-cross steers, 12-14 months, 364kg, at $920 or $2.52/kg and four Simmental-cross steers, 12-14 months, at $830 to TFI.
Miller Whan & John's Scott Miller said the market for cows with calves at foot had been dragging in recent times, but had started to improve over recent sales and were still very good buying when compared with split values.
Sea View, Allendale East, Vic, sold eight Angus heifers with eight Angus calves, topping the cow and calf market, at $1510 to Yahl grazier, Angelo Belmonte.
Brooklyn Park, Lake Mundi, Vic, sold eight Angus cows with eight Angus calves at $1400. This vendor also sold six Banquet/Vermont-blood Angus fifth-calvers with Angus calves at foot, at $1275.
J Mitton, Naracoorte, sold 10 South Devon cows, third-calvers with 10 South Devon calves at $1320.
Holland Pastoral, Mount Gambier, sold five Angus-cross cows with five Angus calves, at $1225.
Glenlea Family Trust, Millicent, sold six-mixed age Angus-cross cows with Angus calves, running with a bull for two weeks, at $1200.
Struan, Naracoorte, sold 18 Charolais-Angus heifers with 18 April-drop calves at foot at $1120.
Clifton Hill, Branxholme, Vic, sold 10 Allendale-blood Hereford heifers, 24 months, first-calvers, with 10 Hereford calves at foot, 2-6-weeks, at $1165.
Garden Flat, Allendale East, Vic, sold six Angus-Friesian heifers with six Angus calves, at $1400 to Elders Dartmoor, Vic.
Kleenview sold 19 Angus-Hereford heifers, 403kg, at $920 or $2.28/kg, eight Angus-Hereford heifers, 427kg, at $900 or $2.10/kg, and 12 Angus-Hereford heifers, 373kg, at $880 or $2.35/kg. The same vendor also sold a line of Hereford heifers, 20-22 months, to $960 for 11 av 528kg av $2.26/kg to local graziers Nampara.
Rikihana Park, Kingston, sold 10 Angus heifers, 12 months, 386kg, at $1035 or $2.68/kg to TFI.
Hunter Bros sold 30 Angus heifers, 9-10 months, the 321kg top pen at $780 or $2.42/kg and the second line av 286kg, at $740 or $2.58/kg.
Tuscanna sold 21 weaned Angus heifers, 5-8 months, at $615.
Redruth sold 12 Boonaroo-blood Angus heifers, August/September 2014-drop, at $705 to Elders Dartmoor. The same vendor also sold 21 Angus-Hereford heifers, at $565 and 14 Angus heifers August/September-drop, at $470.