The heavier the rain fell on the massive roof overhead the keener the demand grew at the WVLX Mortlake store cattle sale on Thursday.
Offering a heavily depleted yarding of 1005 head, restocker and feeder buyers from the Riverina, Wimmera and the local southwest districts competed for a broad range of store-conditioned cattle that varied in age from rising two year old steers to five month –old spring calves.
One of the main highlights of the sale was the major principal feedlot orders were generally brushed aside by bevy of emerging opportunity feeders.
This groundswell of second-tier under support boosted feeder steer prices by an average of 5-12 cents a kilogram on most all-black pens, and up to 20c/kg on the usually neglected non all-black lots.
Middle weaner steers in the 280-360kg range, although significantly dearer, also found demand more stable across the various breeds while light spring-drop calves, most of which were sold unweighed, saw prices stepped $150- $200 a head on the back of previous month’s sullen enquiry.
Weighed steers across the markets generally made 270-294c/kg, topping at 303c/kg while unweighed beef steers made $700- $840 to top at near 400c/kg.
The unjoined heifer market that followed saw some extraordinary sales made for selected Angus lots, which offered impeccable breeding. These were sold to a top of $1429 a head, average $1372 while heifers taken to feed and background made 270- 284c/kg.
A further highlight of the sale was the depleted number of breeding females penned following the massive clearance in the month earlier, with the cow and calf offering comprising a mere total of four black baldy outfits.