BOONAROO ANGUS
Total clearance of 81 bulls sold to $17,000, av $9148
BOONAROO Angus not only achieved its highest price, it also increased its sale average by more than $2800 at its annual bull sale, held on-property at Casterton last Friday.
Stud co-principal Jodie Foster said a number of factors contributed to the marked improvement in the sale result: “An outstanding season, increased retention of females across the country, the most even line of bulls ever offered at Boonaroo, and the recognition that Boonaroo genetics have received through winning the Victorian Beef Week RASV Heifer Challenge in 2016, then backing that up by being judged the winner of the 2017 South Australian Beef Week ANZ Heifer Challenge just last week.”
Boonaroo GPS J6 L57 topped the sale at $17,000 ($4500 above last year’s top price) and was knocked down to new clients CR&LM Priest, through McGrath Rodwells Kyneton.
Mrs Foster said the 865-kilogram, 18 month-old L57 attracted bidders with his temperament, structure and his trait leading estimated breeding values (EBVs) for growth. The grandson of KC HAAS GPS had a rare combination of figures of top end growth with moderate calving ease. He is in the top one per cent of the entire Angus breed for all growth traits (+63kg for 200-day weight, +118kg for 400-day and a whopping +155kg for 600-day), top 10pc for days to calving and top 15pc for gestation length.
Yandra Farms, Euroa, after first inspecting the Boonaroo Sale Bulls during the Stock & Land Beef Week, purchased four outstanding high growth sires, paying the $15000 second top price of the day for the Lot 1 Anvil J6 son, Boonaroo L166.
McCarthy Livestock was the highest volume buyer of the sale purchasing six quality sires to a top of $9000 for their beef operation at Lucindale, South Australia.
The sale was underpinned by a strong contingent of repeat buyers from South West Victoria and the South East of South Australia.
Mrs Foster said after the challenge of the tough springs of 2014 and 2015, the past two years had seen continual price improvement for store and trade cattle, with many of their local clients achieving “tremendous” results in the January weaner sales. Tora Downs’ Boonaroo blood weaner steers were the heaviest and also achieved the highest price per head of $1560 at the Landmark Casterton weaner sale. Increased returns in the past two seasons have given producers confidence to invest in the best possible genetics for their herds.
Landmark Casterton, Elders Casterton and Miller, Whan & John, Mt Gambier, conducted the sale.