PAKENHAM AGENTS offered a larger yarding of 1831 head, which comprised of a big range of young and older cattle.
Cattle were consigned in larger numbers from areas surrounding Sale with producers looking to capture price in a market well supported by small farms. However, competition came from far and wide, anywhere from the north east to a good spread of feedlots.
Bordering on a big sale the next day, at Bairnsdale, weaker competition could be the answer to lower prices. Having said this, prices were still very good with only the very top liveweight prices not achieved this market.
While there were a few pens of heavier yearling steers penned, the larger percentage of the steers were younger and of lighter weights.
Isolated sales of heavier yearling steers peaked at $1850 with most selling between $1450 & $1740. A single pen of 9 Angus steers, offered y Raglan Farming Partnership, Neerim, sold for $1740, equalling 380c/kg lwt.
Steers in the weight bracket of 420-500kgs sold around this liveweight figure, up to 403c/kg. N Aulich, Caldermeade, sold 16 Angus steers, 420kgs, for $1690. MJ Sewell, Rokeby, sold 9 yearling Charolais steers for $1550, and D&C Droppert, Fulham, 26 Hereford & Angus steers from $1420-$1540.
With many of the steers weighing below 370kgs, and many from 220-330kgs lwt, they sold to the best demand with many producers looking for spring grass eaters at lower Dollar values.KJ&MJ Treasure, Stratford, sold 28 Hereford steers from $1110-$1370.
Noticed throughout the yarding was a mixture of beef breeds, and all sold very well, as there were fewer options over all of the yarding. RE Townley & Sons, Bayles, sold 20 Angus & Murray Grey steers from $1305-$1460.
Showing off some of the younger steers was Clover Cottage, French Island, who sold 22 Speckle Park cross steers for $1100, or 435c/kg lwt. Bowen & Hillard, Yulong Farm, Strzelecki, offered 29 young Angus steers, that sold from $1080-$1155, which was close to 450c/kg lwt.
With a big mixture of very light steers penned, prices varied from $650-$950. There was two sales of Friesian steers to note, that of WC&R Warren, Denison, selling 20 head for $870, and Future Plains, Kilmany, selling 20 steers for $795.
A large percentage of the heifers offered sold from $820 to a market top of $1355. Larger lots sold up to $1340, for 7 Hereford heifers of DL&L Phelan, Bushy Park. The Estate of I Black, Noorat, sold 10 younger Charolais heifers for $1070, equalling 396c/kg lwt.
P&M NAtion, Hill End, sold 14 Limousin cross heifers for $1250, which went for slaughter. Processors purchased heifer for slaughter and to grain feed, in a volatile heifer sale.
A very mixed selection of cows and calves sold to solid competition, Two Limousin cows and calves sold to $2500. Several small lines of cows and calves sold from $1810-$2200 with all sales showing dearer trends. Warmer weather and spring grass could be the reason.