Yarding 3621
Northern rain washed buyers down to Wodonga for the first of the annual weaner feature sales, Thursday, January 7.
All predictions of hope for this northern competition came to fruition with a large percentage of the steers, and heifers, heading into northern NSW and southern Queensland.
The independent agents sale opened with a few pens of yearling steers, weighing up to 501 kilograms liveweight, and competition for these was solid. Prices were between $1190, for lightweight yearlings, to $1590 for 21 Angus steers, 0-2 teeth. J Wiltshire, Table Top, sold 42 steers from $1440 to the top price.
EG Seidel & Co, Narrandera, opened the sale of weaned 2015 drop steers offering 161 EU accredited steers, 323-393kg lwt. These sold to strong competition selling from $1190-$1330, or 338-368c/kg lwt.
By this stage everyone was talking of the very good prices, but as the northern competition kicked in, prices continued to rise. Comments were being made to “this is the best sale we have seen here at Wodonga”, and those comments were very close to the mark.
Grant Daniel Long, Dalby, Queensland, was by far the volume buyer of the day purchasing many steers and a good number of heifers too. However, there was at least six northern buyers making purchases.
Smokey Mountain, Whorouly, sold 195 Angus steers from $1030-$1240 for steers weighing 268-344kg lwt. Many of these are on a truck north.
The yarding of steers was mostly of good quality with only a few pens of plain condition lightweight steers selling below $1000. Mitchell Pastoral Co, Bethanga, sold 77 steers 268-302kg, from $1045-$1125.
WA&SE Dudley, Deniliquin, sold 37 heavy yearling Angus heifers from $1270-$1400, purchased for grain feeding.
Weaned heifers all sold over 300c/kg, and with most from 316-368c/kg lwt, which was an excellent result. Only a few were purchased to join, Landmark Alexandra, purchased several pens from $1040-$1190 for recipients to Wagyu bulls.
EG Seidel & Co sold 62 heifers, EU accredited, from $1030-$1180, 342-367c/kg. There were few heifers penned with many producers keeping future breeders. Most of the 2015 drop heifers sold between $900&$1190.
