A lack of faith in future markets and also the prevailing season saw another bout of price cuts for store cattle at NVLX Barnawartha on Thursday.
Competing for a 3600-head yarding, which included several consigned from the dry areas of northern NSW, a cautious gallery of mainly upper northeast valley restockers gained the support of two volume southeast SA orders to absorb the lion’s share of a much larger than expected penning.
The cow and calf market, in particular, provided many buying opportunities on the day.
While a top-of-the-market $2240 was shelled out for an outfit of eleven Angus heifers and their 1-2 month-old Angus calves, the majority of other cows/calf unit collected sales between $1200 and $1850, with some of these offering a rejoining and/or well grown calves at foot.
The market toppers were a yard of 17 by 17 Angus heifers, with Angus young calves, sold by DS & CG Varker while from Yass, NSW, DT, S & E Phillips sold yards of 32 Angus cows (weighed at 548 and 539kg), with well grown 275kg Angus calves at foot that made $1890 and $1680 respectively.
And from Warren, central west NSW, Billabulla sold four yards (83 head in total) of re-depastured Angus cows, aged 7-10 years, with 3-12 week-old Angus calves, for $1250, $1240, $1180 and $1100 respectively.
Meanwhile selling Hereford cow/calf units, Ag Rau sold a pen of third calvers, not station mated with 2-3 month-old Hereford fellowers on alone bid of $1500.
In the steer section prices were corrected and tightly held in the 260-315 cents a kilogram price bracket for a broad range of sales weighed between 260 and 400kg live.
Odd sales were noted higher but these mostly were the exception as a dollar per head range of $850-$1150 netted most sales.
An interstate order from Penola, South Australia was a willing participant at the reduced rates. It gathered a pen of RT & JM Jacobs Angus steers, 374kg at $1100 along with 22 Mitchell Pastoral Angus, 340kg, bid to $1030.
An order placed by the Bunnaloo, NSW feedlot took the opening two yards of the steer sale.
These comprised a pen of RW&JA Bailey Angus, 457kg, bid to $1225 and a pen of Maddagoora, Rutherglen Angus, 441kg, booked at $1220.
Other steer sale features included pens offered by J Hardie, Crookwell.
A pen of the Hardie Angus, 284kg made $890 while lighter 252kg Angus brothers made $820.
Eric Burgemeister, Narrandera sold 20 Angus, 375kg at $1100 and 24 Angus, 320kg at $990.
An EU-accredited Angus line prepared by NK Nichol & Co, Bethanga generated good interest with yards, 382kg sold at $1140, a pen of 50, 334kg, making $1080 while 27 Angus, 300kg, realised $990.
Heifer sales, likewise, failed to gain traction much outside a trading rate of 250- 275c/kg.
This activity sold most heifers from $650 to $950 a head, with a top of $1020 paid in the early pens of the heifer market.
