Driving toward Mortlake from the east, the crops and grass look in great stead heading into spring. This could explain why producers from New South Wales sent cattle to Mortlake for sale last Thursday.
One vendor, Australian Food & Agriculture, “Boonoke”, near Deniliquin, NSW, made up 23 percent of the total yarding of 2295 head penned.
A lesser number of grown steers were penned, which aided some reasonable competition.
Selling by liveweight, the top steers made 306.5 cents per kilogram. Lynwood sold the 10 Angus steers equaling $1550, and the grown steers averaged $1457 per head.
L Wheatley, Lynlee, Deniliquin, NSW, was one of the northern producers selling at Mortlake, with their 57 yearling Angus steers selling to 303c/kg, equaling from $1042-$1196 per head.
Best of the 2017 drop steers belonged to JHW Patterson, Vermont, Anakie. These 52 Angus steers, 9-10 months, sold to strong competition making from 312-315c, or $1055-$1316.
Feedlot competition was very strong for these and for other suitably weighted steers and heifers throughout the sale.
Local producers were more confident in a good season to come and competed strongly against this feedlot competition.
Also in the buyers mix was one from northern Tasmania and Landmark International. Gippsland producers were noted in the crowd but did not purchase.
The supply of steers, 6-10 months, came from far and wide.
Pioneer Partners, from north of Adelaide, SA, sold 51 Angus, Hereford, and their crosses, which weighed from 280-332kg, and sold from 266-293c/kg lwt. This equaled $745-$973.
Westlee, sold 114 Angus steers, Tillbudgery blood, from $700-$970. Garrison Feedlot purchased the top weighted steers of these as well as Pioneer Partners’s, and they were active over many of the other good quality steers.
The cattle from NSW were mostly in store condition and of lighter weights. Mullingbar Pastoral, Deniliquin, sold 26 Angus-Hereford steers in fair condition, which sold from $740-$870.
Most of these northern cattle came from the Australian Food and Agriculture with their 371 steers selling between $385 and $620.
Leading the way in the sale of heifers was Yantara offering grown heifers weighing 537kg. These Table Top blood heifers made 304c, or $1290. The Ross Family, Yatchawbar, Carrington, sold 14 Angus heifers for $1000.
Eddington Park sold Angus heifers, 14-15 months, for $1005, and D Ewing sold 25 Angus-Hereford heifers, 16-18 months, 349kg, for 251c, or $876.
Kapunda was awarded the best presented pen of weaned heifers, and these sold for $264c, or $860. Westlee offered 80 Angus heifers, Tillabudgery blood, that sold from $630-$775.
European cross heifers of Bellvale Pastoral sold from 186-235c/kg, or $570-$640.
Away from these yearling and grown heifers most of the yarding were light weight, plain condition heifers.
The Mullingbar, NSW, heifers sold between $565 and $690, while the 150 plain Hereford heifers of Australian Food & Agiculture made from $300-$455.
Good quality Angus-Friesian cross heifers still attract good competition, and 54 head offered by A Richardson, sold from $465-$850. Hereford-Friesian heifers of A Lenehan sold from $500-$655.
A&S Pratt sold 22 Poll Hereford heifers, PTIC to Angus bulls, to start calving from September 5 on, for $1300, which was a good sale.
Last, but not least, crossbred and Friesian steers were offered. Tara Hills sold 15 Angus-Friesian steers, 310kg, for 210c, or $653. Twelve month old Hereford-Friesian steers of Green Hills, sold for $910. Straight bred Friesian steers finished off the sale, and varied in age and weight. Douglas Trading sold 25 steers in two drafts, both for 165c/kg, which equaled $612-$680.
Friesian steer calves sold from a base of $100, to a top of $460.