SUMMARY: 2740 yarded
Steers: 360kg-400kg, avg 302c/kg; 280-360kg, avg 300c/kg; 200-280kg avg 296c/kg; Heifers: 280-360kg, av 253c/kg; 200-280kg; av 254c/kg.
Demand and prices varied wildy for weaner steers at Yea’s November store cattle sale in the lower northeast of Victoria on Friday.
With district restockers encouraged by follow-up falls of 20 to 30 mm in the days prior to the sale, local knowledge on all-important blood-lines and weaning status played a pivitol role in the sales overall outcome.
In a sale of some 2700, which contained no pens of yearling-off or grown steers for the feedlot industry, demand relied heavily on restocker competition supplied principally from the local northeast, West Gippsland and central areas along with a mop-up influence from northern NSW.
In the opening pen, GW & ME Oliver, Glenburn, sold 17 Angus steers, weighed at 376kg, at $1090 a head while SR Purcell sold 24 Angus, 350kg, at $990.
BM & MM Griffiths, Seymour sold 21 Angus 365kg, at $1000, PD & P Ryan, Pyalong cleared at $1140 a head, a yard of 24 Angus, 354kg, while WR Newman, Eildon sold 24 Angus, 347kg at 950 a head.
A second pen of 17 Angus, 366kg, offered by GW & ME Oliver made $1080 a head, RJH Maronoa, Nagambie sold a yard of 21 Angus, 332kg, made $1130 while a second pen of BM & MM Griffiths Angus, 355kg made $1050.
Ron and Paul McKenzie, trading as Campsie Glen Angus sold three yards from their Glenburn property. A yard of 17 Angus, 378kg made $1090, a pen of 27, 323kg made $940 while a third pen of 23 Angus, 299kg made $860.
A highlight of the sale was the repeat buyer interest displayed on selected vendor lines.
A line of Howes Creek Hills, Mansfield Herefords proved a hit among district restocker with its first-draft pen of 31 steers, 367kg, sold at the market top of $1240, its second pen of 25, 327kg made $1130 and a third yard of 23, 310kg, made $990.
All fell to bids offered by Yea-district bullock finishers while J & TM McCormack, Moleworth sold EU-accredited Hereford steers, 331kg, at $910 a head, a second yard of 30, 307kg at $840 and a third yard of 34, 288kg, at $810.
Also among the popular white-faced sales, I & J Marshman sold 22 EU-Hereford steers, 331kg at $1240 and a second pen of 21, 309kg at $980.
Demand for heifers, however, was less volatile as feedlot interests took greater control at setting a benchmark rate.
At this rate, based on an average of 245-250c/kg saw selected pens among strike an accord with local restockers for future breeding purposes.
GW & ME Oliver sold 14 Angus heifers, 311kg at $810, WR Newman (299kg) and T&J Binotto, Catkin (317kg) each sold yards at $780 while vendors Major Plains, O’Connor Rural and Berdue Pastoral Company each sold Angus heifers at $760.
Orders placed for interstate destination saw cattle trucked post-sale to Coonamble, Tamworth, Albury and Hay, all in NSW.