Put a bit of weight into your cattle, and they'll sell well.
That's the message from Andy Grant, Landmark, Pakenham, after the fortnightly store sale.
"The industry is pushing for that and they sold very well, up to 338 cents a kilogram for some of the advertised cattle," Mr Grant said.
Most of the yarding was drawn from South and West Gippsland, with some pens from Geelong and the Yarra Valley.
Agents yarded 1650 head of steers and heifers and 312x267 cows and calves.
Anthony Delaney, Rodwells, Pakenham, said while it was a patchy yarding, all agents were able to offer some quality lines.
"The top end of it sold very, very well," Mr Delaney said.
"Anything with weight sold above expectations, as it has done in the last few sales."
There was increased competition from South Gippsland bullock fatteners, who went up against buyers from JBS and Jalna.
He said Herefords averaged around 300c/kg, with Angus lines selling for between 310-320c/kg.
"There was good local competition around, which we haven't seen until now," he said.
David Setches, Alex Scott & Staff, said the good lines of cattle sold accordingly.
"We had a feedlot operating on the better end of the heifers, so they were making from 265-280c/kg, which kept that going along strongly," Mr Setches said.
He said there were very few Angus weaner calves, from 270-320kg.
"The ones that did sell sold very well, up to 360c/kg," he said.
Cattle between 400-550kg were also sought by feedlots and backgrounders.
"There was a bit more competition for those older, heavier cattle from the bullock growers and the feedlots; those bigger cattle were $30-50 [a head] dearer than the previous sale," he said.
Rain had brought optimism, making a difference to both buyers and sellers.
"We needed the 15 millimetres that came through, if we just keep getting 5mm here and 10mm there the season is looking good," Mr Setches said.
HZD Zeda, Yannathan, sold 33 steers, 585kg, for $1775, or 303c/kg.
A second pen of 10 steers, 540kg, sold for $1620, or 300c/kg.
P&J Hinrichsen, Darraweit Guim, sold 11 steers, 395kg, by an 007 Angus bull, for $1310, or 331c/kg.
Black on Green, Maindample, sold 24 Riga and Anvil Angus-blood steers, 368kg, for $1320, or 358c/kg.
Quarterford Angus, Mt Duneed, sold a pen of 15 Angus steers, 383kg, for $1295, or 338c/kg.
Catani Angus sold 11 steers, 353kg, for $1090, or 308c/kg.
MD Gordon, Glen Forbes, sold 21 heifers, 388kg, for $1080, or 278c/kg.
M Milojevic's pen of 13 heifers, 406kg, sold for $1170, or 288c/kg.
Oceanway Pastoral, Cape Paterson, sold 20 Angus heifers, 365kg, for $1050, or 287c/kg.
GJ and T Russo, Tyabb, sold eight Charolais-cross steers, 10-months-old, for $1000.
Bedad, Thorpdale, sold 10 steers, 453kg, for $1350, or 298c/kg.
N Zenelovski, Caldermeade, sold a pen of 12, 384kg steers for $1200, or 312c/kg, while its pen of 12 heifers, 366kg, sold for $950, or 259c/kg.
M Jackson, Hallston, sold 13 steers, 281kg, for $850, or 302c/kg, while a pen of 11 heifers, 247kg, sold for $790, or 319c/kg.
Oceanway Pastoral, sold 9x9 Angus heifers, with 100 per cent Angus calves at foot, for $2000.
Another pen of 13x13 sold for $1800.
R&J Marsolino, Shepparton, sold 15x15 Poll Hereford heifers, with Angus CAF, for $1040.
TJ Stewart, Bombala, sold 16x16 Angus/Hereford-cross cows, with Angus CAF, for $1120.
Andrew Miller
I'm a general reporter with Stock & Land, with a special interest in irrigation issues. I completed my cadetship, with the Age, in 1980. Over my career, I've worked for ABC radio news (Mt Isa, Qld) and at provincial and suburban newspapers.
I'm a general reporter with Stock & Land, with a special interest in irrigation issues. I completed my cadetship, with the Age, in 1980. Over my career, I've worked for ABC radio news (Mt Isa, Qld) and at provincial and suburban newspapers.
