Summary 2645
- Steers: 500-650kg $1440-$1500, av 250c/kg: 450-550kg: $1280-$1410, av 272c/kg: 360-450kg: $1025-$1330, av 298c/kg; 280-360kg: $950-$1150, av 314c/kg
- Heifers: 360-450kg: $960-$1200, av 274c/kg; 280-360kg: $920-$980, av 290c
Ballarat cattle sellers were rewarded with a strong and consistent result when the central Highland’s saleyard played host to its March store sale on Friday.
Offering a quality penning of 2640 head, an eager field of processor and lot feeder buyers along with representatives from two live export orders consumed the lion’s share of the pennings at fully firm to near-equal values.
TB White and Sons auctioneer, Tom Madden said the inquiry for feeder cattle was constant in both the steer and heifer yardings.
“If the cattle were good enough – were in forward condition and offered weights suitable to feed – then they certainly generated the interest,” Mr Madden said.
“And the prices paid were in keeping with last month’s annual sales,” Mr Madden said.
Several yards of heavy bullocks were penned at the head of the grown steer run.
RG Cooper sold Hereford and Hereford-Angus steers, 648kg, at $1500/head. These went to Oakdale Meat Company along with five Angus steers, 627kg, sold by D Murphy, also at $1500.
In the opening lane J&F (Swift) Feedlots bid to $1490 for 10 Angus steers, 580kg. These were offered by A Taylor while Teys Charlton Feedlot, in a 300 head sweep from the market, booked 12 AD Hobbs Angus steers, 523kg, at $1410 along with 10 Angus, 462kg, sold by M.Candelero at $1280.
Pens offered by Arrandale – 15 Angus, 472kg, sold at $1370 and AJ Vallance - 19 Angus, 445kg, sold at $1290 also went on the Teys Charlton truck along with 23 Warrenvale Angus steers, 460kg, bid to $1290.
A number of larger drafts that missed the annual February sales came under keen consideration.
Laguna Bay Pastoral sold 30 Angus steers, 383kg at $1140 while Bowdens Point sold 15 Angus, 342kg at $1050, with the latter secured by Hopkins River Pastoral.
At the head of the weaner run LS Shaw, Newlyn, sold 434kg Angus steers at $1350 while AJ Vallance, Mt Prospect, also sold his yard of 411kg Angus loaded onto the Teys Charlton truck, priced at $1210.
Rowallan Lodge, Windermere, - Angus steers, 403kg, sold at $1200, H.Wade and Sons – 25 Angus, 399kg, $1190 and Wolgan, Brewster – 36 Angus, 366kg, $1180, also enjoyed solid results.
Backgrounders and speculators from a broad area of western Victoria took a stronger interest in the purchase of lighter weaner lines. However buying in this section was more opportunistic than the sale a month earlier, given a break in the season was still to be received.
Restockers from Penshurst, Echuca-Bendigo, Geelong-Colac, Ararat, Camperdown and Kyneton along with the local Ballarat district all secured pens from the market.