A very good solid sale by off-the-pace of the February market was the assessment placed on the Roberts Limited weaner cattle sale last Thursday (March 3rd) when 3000 locally bred British bred young calves were offered in the official opening to the 2016 Tasmanian selling season.
A smaller contingent of mainland buyers attended the sale compared to the month earlier when 60 percent of that yarding making the trip across Bass Straight.
At this sale a reduced, 40 percent, made the crossing with principal buying support offered from Gunnedah, Dubbo, Walgett and the Albury/Wodonga regions.
Gunnedah agent Luke Scicluna, Davidson Cameron was the principal mainland buyer securing 780 cattle on the day, with 580 steers from his haul headed for feed in the Walgett area of northern NSW.
Major vendor sales on the day were Wallaroo who cleared 115 Angus steers for a per head average of $893 and 71 Angus heifers, average $689.
John Taylor "Winton" sold 96 Hereford steers, average $707 and 37 Hereford heifers $491 while Surveyors Bay Pastoral sold 179 Angus steers, ave $918 and 96 Angus heifers, $673 average.
Northeast cattle breeder, Rushy Lagoon was another principal seller clearing 296 Angus, Hereford and Black Baldy steers for an average of $697 per head while their same-bred sisters averaged $434 per head in a consignment of 143.
Bowood Pastoral achieved an average of $881 for their 45 Angus steers while its 69 head heifer draft averaged $641 a head.
National Livestock Reporting Service said the best sales of steer weaners made $1,070-$1,260, while medium weights made $960 to $1160/head.
Light weight steers realized $690-$1,000 and very light (under 200kg) made $550 to $795/head.
Large numbers of steer weaners made between 330c and 370c/kg, the service said.
In the heifer section the heaviest heifers made $990-$1,110, medium weights sold from $815 to $940, light weights returned $580 to $820.
Very light heifers were sold between $455 and $620/head with many returning 290-310c/kg.
Roberts state livestock manager Warren Johnson said, with the smaller field of only four mainland buyers participating- some not purchasing any cattle at all- there was not the multiple 400c/kg sales for steers as was witnessed in the February.
Mr Johnson said Roberts Limited would line up again at Powranna with close to 4000 weaners on the 17th March followed by the Shobridge family on farm Cleveland sale on March 18th where 1000 head of Banquet-blood Angus steers and heifers will be featured.
“With a yard average of $734, and conditions still relatively dry season across Tasmania Mr Johnson says the opportunities are still there to purchase another 15,000 Tasmanian weaner cattle over the coming eight weeks.
“Our lighter steers may appear to have made plenty of a cents per kilogram basis but they were not dear in a dollar per head sense” Mr Johnson said.
“Our cattle are still very buyable even when the freight to the mainland is added” he said.
As normal the Tasmanian weaners are generally 3 to 5 months younger than their mainland equivalents giving buyers the opportunities to purchase cattle with less weight and less dollars per head outlay but certainly holding the quality to go on and perform, Mr Johnson said.
