Strong competition at Mt Gambier

All classes sold dearer, with the exception of lighter weight cattle less than 300kg, which was firm on the extremes realised in June.

The unexpected influx of numbers may have been as a result of vendors holding cattle over from the 2015/2016 financial year, as for the first time in some years cattle have shown a better than average return, coupled with confidence in the market, and record rains for June in the Mt Gambier area.

Feedlotters were out in full force, underpinning prices on medium and heavy weight steers, turning the tables on restockers who held the upper hand in the June store market.

A very good mix of heavy, light and Friesian cattle were on offer, with some coming from as far away as Horsham, Vic, and the Southern Grampians, Vic.

The entire first race of Angus steers sold to buyers from Thomas Foods International, Teys Australia and Princess Royal feedlots, with local restockers not managing to get a look in.

TFI was represented by beef livestock manager and principal buyer Petar Bond, who bid strongly to secure more than 650 head – nearly a third of the total yarding – buying steers with weights from 290 kilograms to 487kg and heifers from 270-395kg.

Mr Bond’s buys included 14 European Union-accredited Angus steers, 10 months, av 304kg, at $1320 or $4.34/kg, sold a/c Springhill; 18 Angus and Angus cross steers, av 407kg, at $1510 or $3.71/kg, a/c Glenora, Strathdownie, Vic; 13 weaned Boonaroo-blood Angus steers, av 335kg, at $1300 or $3.88/kg, sold a/c Dorodong, and 16 weaned Red Angus steers, Pasturefed Certified Assurance Scheme-accredited, 11-12 months, av 332kg, at $1320 or $3.98/kg, a/c L&M Llewellyn.

He also bought the entire offering of 51 EU-accredited Angus and Angus/Simmental steers offered a/c Wheal Farms, Thornlea. The steers ranged in weight from 355 to 399kg, sold to a top of $1600 or $4.38/kg and averaged $1559.

Buyers for Princess Royal Feedlot in Burra were keen bidders on cattle weighing more than 360kg, buying more than 110 head, including eight weaned Angus and Angus cross steers, 14-15 months, av 403kg at $1400 or $3.47/kg, a/c The Cape; 18 weaned Lawson-blood Angus steers, av 358kg, at $1360 or $3.80/kg sold a/c K&K Lock; 17 Hereford steers 9-10 months av 367kg at $1,395 or $3.80/kg sold a/c GT Trading, Lucindale, 18 Pathfinder-blood Angus heifers 12-14 months, av 362kg, at $1300 or $3.59/kg sold a/c G Ellison & Co and 13 Angus heifers, 12-14 months, av 377kg, at $1330 or $3.53/kg, sold a/c NM&JK Smith.

Teys Australia bought in excess of 135 head, securing mainly steers 375-447kg, including a draft of nine weaned Lake Hawdon-blood Shorthorn steers, av 405kg, at $1400 or $3.46/kg, sold a/c Penrose Pastoral, 24 weaned Granite Ridge-blood Angus steers, av 394kg, at $1450 or $3.68/kg, sold a/c JG&CK Clarke, 11 weaned Angus cross steers, av 389kg, at $1295 or $3.33/kg, sold a/c Monview Estate, and a single draft of Shorthorn heifers, September/October 2014-drop, av 412kg at $1290 or $3.13/kg sold a/c P Caskey.

Top price per head honours went to D&D McKinnon (property sold) for a draft of 11 Hereford steers, 16-18 months, av 485kg, at $1680 or $3.46/kg, selling to O’Connor & Graney, Mt Gambier. The McKinnon family sold 48 Angus cross and Hereford steers ranging in weight from 380-485kg, for an average of $1497.50.

Gorlona sold 29 Banquet blood Angus and Angus cross steers for an average of $120. The top draft, av 447kg, sold for $1420 or $3.18/kg to Teys Charlton, and a second draft, av 390kg, sold at $1420 or $3.64/kg to TFI.

Stratman Farms sold 43 Angus, Angus cross and Hereford steers, 407-441kg, for an average of $1458. The top draft was 11 Hereford steers, av 435kg, 12-14 months which sold at $1535 or $3.53/kg to Teys Australia.

Landmark Kingston’s Richard Miller bought more than 170 steers and heifers in the 260-300kg weight range, destined for Kingston and Naracoorte feedlot backgrounders, including seven Angus steers, av 278kg, at $1110 or $3.99/kg, sold a/c Ayres & Dulwich; 14 TeMania-blood Angus heifers, av 268kg, at $920 or $3.43/kg, sold a/c Wave Hill; eight Pathfinder-blood, PCAS accredited, Angus heifers, 9-11 months, av 296kg at $1010 or $3.41/kg, sold a/c Lyndavale, and six weaned Nampara-blood Angus cross steers, av 287kg, at $1000 or $3.48/kg, sold a/c G&D Dobbe, Dartmoor, Vic.

Northcott Partnership from the Southern Grampians, Vic, sold five EU-accredited Charolais cross steers, av 365kg, at $1500 or $4.11/kg to TFI, and 26 EU-accredited Hereford and Charolais cross heifers for an average of $1345, with the top draft, av 360kg, selling at $1390 or $3.86/kg to TFI.

DC&CR Branson sold 52 Murray Grey/Charolais, Angus cross and Shorthorn steers, 309-387kg, for an average of $1354. The Branson’s top draft of 21 Murray Grey/Charolais cross steers, 14-15 months, av 387kg, sold at $1485 or $3.84/kg to Princess Royal.

MC&JM Northcott sold eight Limousin/Angus steers, 10-12 months, av 361kg, at $1370 to TFI, who also bought their second draft, av 292kg at $1080, or $3.70/kg. The Northcott family also sold Limousin/Angus heifers, with the top draft, av 345kg, selling to Princess Royal at $1230 or $3.56/kg and the second draft, av 273kg, going to TFI at $870 or $3.19/kg.

Glendoo Pastoral Co sold 11 Angus steers, 12-14 months, av 336kg at $1315 or $3.91/kg to O’Connor & Graney and a draft of nine Hereford steers, eight months, av 261kg, at $900 or $3.45/kg to Landmark Kingston.

Friesian and Friesian cross steers sold exceptionally well. R&TR Paltridge, Eight Mile Creek, sold 12 Hereford/Friesian steers, av 450kg, at $1350 or $3/kg to RL Jones and a draft of eight Friesian steers, av 468kg, made $1160 or $2.48/kg, a/c Seaview.

Younger, unweighed Angus steers made to a top of $960 for a draft of 23, 8-10 month old, Angus steers sold a/c Jamalu Farming, Mt Gambier, and averaged $896 for 75 head, all selling to P&L Livestock, Mt Gambier.

Regular Mt Gambier store sale vendor, Tuscanna, Kingston SE, sold 77 weaned Angus steers, seven to nine months, for an average of $765, with the top draft selling at $900 to P&L Livestock.

A limited number of cows with calves were offered, with a draft of six Angus cows with six Angus calves at foot, with the cows running back with Boonaroo Angus bulls, topping at $2300 sold a/c Greenbanks.

M&M Patzel sold four Angus/Friesian cows, second and third calvers, with four March-drop Black Simmental cross calves at foot, rejoined to black Simmental bulls at $2050.

P Caskey sold three Shorthorn cows, first calvers, with three ‘The Grove’ blood Shorthorn calves at foot at $2000.

Watervalley Pty Ltd sold 55 pregnancy-tested-in-calf Angus heifers with a weight range from 384-450kg, for an average of $1623. The top draft, av 415kg, sold at $1760, with the entire offering selling to TFI.

Griffen Pastoral sold 103 Hereford and Angus/Hereford heifers, with weights from 286-347kg, for an average of $1075. The top draft, av 347kg, sold at $1290 or $3.71/kg to P&L Livestock.

Cyclone Trust sold 20 PCAS-accredited Angus heifers, 14-16 months, av 386kg, at $1300 or $3.37/kg and a second draft of 17 Angus heifers, av 354kg, at $1310 or $3.70/kg both selling to TFI.

TFI also bought 16 Wittalocka-blood Angus heifers, July/August 2015-drop, av 328kg, at $1120 or $3.41/kg, sold a/c Anderson Family Trust, and 23 EU-accredited Angus heifers, av 268kg, at $1000 or $3.73/kg, sold a/c MS,CC&RB Johnson.

Emery Rural sold 5 EU-accredited Charolais/Red Angus/Hereford heifers, av 364kg, at $1330 or $3.65/kg to Princess Royal who also bought 16 EU-accredited, Pathfinder-blood, Angus heifers, 10-11 months, av 305kg at $1150 or $3.77/kg, sold a/c Laneville.

Good numbers are already expected at next month’s store sale, which will feature a very good line of 300 Shorthorn steers, which were originally destined for the July sale, but were unable to be trucked out due to wet conditions.

As the saying goes ‘there’s no money in empty paddocks’ and with many buyers going home from the July store sale empty handed, agents are expecting prices to hold firm in August, when ‘grass fever’ is bound to hit.