While the offering of 1350 head at the regular fortnightly Leongatha store sale, Thursday, was of very mixed quality, lines of well bred beef breeds sold very well.
Agents quoted this sale as fully firm, and dearer than some recent sales, elsewhere.
Some highlights of this sale occurred in the larger lines of well-bred cattle, and some drafts of noted breeders’ cattle.
G,K&N Belcher, Woodside, sold 101 Angus steers, 330-451kgs, from $1120-$1305, average $1218, or 289-339c/kg lwt.
Then, the Belcher’s 53 Hereford steers, 318-425kgs, sold from $910-$1230, average $1162, or 286-320c/kg lwt.
Strong demand from a local steer fattener, pumped the sale of Hereford steers along nicely.
Fewer of the heavy yearling steers were penned, and while there was less competition for these, prices were solid.
Most steers sold from $1240-$1280.
A few pens of older crossbred steers sold between $1100-$1290, which equaled 225-252c/kg, still better than recent physical markets.
It was fairly apparent that buyers preffered to buy quality breeding in all beef breeds.
TJ&M-EM Higgins, Dawson, sold their annual draft of 2017-drop Angus steers.
Normally sold at Heyfield later in March, but grass has run out, these 35 steers sold from $1050-$1150, or 331c/kg lwt.
G&S Egan, Alberton, also sold their annual draft of 2017 steers, which included 19 Simmental-Hereford steers.
These sold from $1050-$1150, while their 51 Hereford steers sold between $900-$1170.
These were all very good sales for the current climate.
Marajon Pastoral, Glen Forbes, sold 11 Charolais steers for $1220, and Campaspe Flats, Berry’s Creek, sold 12 Red Angus steers for $1220.
P&J McAninly sold 21 Shorthorn steers to $1100.
Most of the lighter weight steers sold from $820-$1050.
Friesian steers were plentiful, and came in all weights and ages.
Older steers sold from $750-$1000, and several pens of younger steers sold between $410-$505.
There was even two pens of Jersey steers offered, these sold for $345 for 12 plus month-old steers.
While the supply of yearling and younger heifers were mostly of good to very good quality, their numbers were small overall.
Campaspe Flats, Berry’s Creek, sold 14 Yearling Red Angus heifers from $1220-$1295, a respectable 267-282c/kg lwt.
Several other drafts of yearling heifers sold quite well, K Shea, Leongatha South, sold 23 Angus heifers to $1145, T&L Butcher, 38 Angus heifers from $895-$1085, and Blackwood Grazing, Trafalgar, 24 Angus heifers to $1080.
Strong demand for 2017 autumn-drop heifers saw TJ&M_EM Higgins Angus’ heifers sell from $890-$930, or 300c/kg, and G,K&N Belcher’s 53 Angus & Hereford heifers, from $750-$920.