Travelling up the Hume highway during summer was depressing with paddocks dry and bare, and dams emptying by the day. What a relief it was to now see dams and waterholes full, and all paddocks green, and crops well on the way.
There is a distinct lack of cattle in the paddocks, which is why competition has increased so much at the Wodonga store cattle markets.
Wodonga’s independant agents offered a good size yarding of 2691 head, that included a number of yearling steers and heifers. Some of these yearlings were in near fat condition as producers sought prices better than physical sales.
Not all of the usual buyers attended the sale, but demand was strong with many of the heavier yearling steers purchased by Teys Bros for their Charlton feedlot. They paid up to $1900, which was for a pen of Hereford steers offered by AK&CF Hall, Corryong. These 0-2 teeth steers weighed 554 kilograms liveweight, and were in prime condition.
Most of the heavier yearling steer sold between $1400 & the top price. Many of the yearling steers were only 12-14 months of age, and offered both feedlots and producers with liveweight price equivalents between 360&395c/kg lwt.
Demand improved as agents offered the younger steers, mostly weighing between 240kgs & 320kgs liveweight. With some of the regular buyers absent, starting prices may have been a little low, as auctioneers took bids above $100 from the opening offer.
To highlight the difference in demand between heavier yearlings and lighter steers, was H Saville, Rutherglen, who sold 10 Angus steers, 384kgs, for $1465, or 381c/kg, and 19 steers, 304kgs, for $1302, or 428c/kg lwt. This trend was seen throughout the sale.
Demand was steady for most of the steers penned, which saw many of the younger steers sell between $1200 & $1390, and lightweight steer calves from $840-$1185.
The usual trend of competition is if you can’t buy the heavier cattle, bid on younger steers, and if you can’t buy them then think about heifers. Such was the trend of this sale, which saw some of the very light steers sell from $830-$1040 with the lightest being over 500c/kg lwt.
“Wyamba” Gerogery, sold 68 yearling Angus-Hereford & Hereford steers, by Wirruna & Table Top bulls, from $1100-$1390. LC Adams, Burrkool, Wakool, sold 47 Angus yearling steers from $1225-$1500.
Larger drafts of steers were less prevalent in this market. “Glenmore”, Wymah, sold 60 Limousin cross steers from $980-$1335, and J Nicholson, Tallangatta Valley, 52 Angus-Hereford steers from $980-$1095.
EU accredited steers were present in the yarding. JE&PC MacLeod, Wallingra Park, Jingellic, sold 26 Angus steers from $1260-$1380, and Kooyong Partners, Tooma, 50 young Angus steers, that sold from $930-$980.
BE Trethowan, Houndale, Gerogery, sold a nice line of 26 Hereford steers for $1585, and “Kirralea”, Berrigan, 30 Black Simmental steers for $1610. Nay of the European breeds and their crosses sold to feedlots. NA Boyd, Chiltern, sold 20 Charolais steers, Rangan Charolais blood, from $1200-$1390.
The youngest steers, again sold to very strong demand. RJ&CF West, Bonegilla, sold 23 Angus steer calves, 200-250kgs, from $840-$1050, although one sale of $865, for Angus steer calves, of Allonby Angus, Walwa, were only 174kgs lwt, or 497c/kg lwt.
If any price increase was seen at Wodonga, it was in the sale of heifers. A good selection of most weights and grades was offered, and feedlots purchased a good number of heifers, and strong demand for small young heifers was a highlight.
Ben Valley Angus, sold 10 heifers with three making $1510 to top the heifer section. Many heifers sold between $950 & $1390, which equalled 360-395c/kg lwt.
N&C Sonnemann, Murmungee, sold 25 Angus heifers, 323-369kgs, from $1180-$1390, and Mulgoa Pastoral, Holbrook, 89 EU accredited Angus heifers, 260-287kgs, from $1040-$1090.
A number of pens of young, lightweight heifers sold to backgrounders at high levels. MA&HL Clarke, Montage, sold 32 Angus heifers, 220-260kgs, from $905-$995. RN Eames, Chiltern, offered 20 Angus cross heifers, 197-259kgs, which made from $770-$920.
The list does go on and on, but one more sale of heifers worth a mention was Kooyong Partners, Tooma, selling 61 EU accredited, Angus-Hereford heifers, from $710-$740, both pens estimated to be 400-416c/kg lwt.
The Wodonga sale did open to strong demand with a very mixed selection of cows and calves selling very well. SR Shaw, Mansfield, sold 10 Hereford cows with Charolais calves at foot, 3-5 months, which sold for $2300.
With 68 cows and calves offered in total, most sold between $1675 & $2000.
Wodonga saleyard operators, NVLX, are holding the “Big Aussie Barbie” Tuesday, September 13, at the Barnawartha selling complex, 1934 Murray Valley Highway. The BBQ, which is raising money for the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia will commence at 8am and run, before, during and after the regular fat cattle sale.
Called “The Tools To Fight Prostate Cancer” money donated will go to this good cause, and help raise awareness to this crippling cancer.
