A deluge of rain across north-eastern Victoria last week greeted buyers at the monthly Euroa store sale where steers and heifers sold to increased demand.
Agents yarded about 1300 cattle on Wednesday - coinciding with the Mountain Calf Sales at Omeo - which Euroa agents said had limited effect on prices and demand.
Landmark Euroa branch manager Russell Mawson said it was "the strongest rise" he had witnessed in his 37-year career.
"We've probably seen prices like this three years ago but nobody can say they've seen a surge in prices like we're seeing at the moment ... from one month to the other," Mr Mawson said.
"Steers were selling between 400-500 cents a kilogram and heifers were 300-400 a kilo so it was unbelievable.
"You could equate that to a pound for pound of wool ... and we haven't seen this for some time."
Commission buyers and agents went head-to-head in an attempt to source cattle for northern NSW and Queensland as local graziers found it hard to compete with volume buyers.
Landmark International bid strongly on Angus steers for a boat order which needed filling by the end of the week.
According to Rodwells Euroa, cattle bought at the sale were headed for places including Bathurst, Gunnedah, Tamworth, Warwick, Dunedoo, Albury, Wangaratta, Shepparton and Yea.
Feedlots bought strong lines of heavier heifers paying up to 380c/kg, while northern buyers snapped up lighter heifers which made more than 400/ckg.
Baxa Pastoral, Locksley, sold 144 mixed sex Angus and Black Baldy calves which averaged $890 a head.
The top pen of five-month-old calves sold for $1160.
"These calves had the weight of approximately 220 kilos which means they sold for about 527 cents a kilogram," Mr Mawson said.
Ard-Na-Sidhe sold 10 Angus steers, 381kg, for $1640 or 430c/kg.
Sharleena sold 22 Angus steers, 344kg, for $1450 or 421c/kg and a second pen of 21 steers, 295kg, for $1335 or 452c/kg.
H Brown sold 18 Angus steers, 442kg, for $1350 or 442c/kg.
Moran Holdings sold 23 Angus steers, 417kg, for $1390 or 417c/kg and a second pen of 20 Angus steers, 270kg, for $1355 or 501c/kg.
Burrandool sold 17 Angus steers, 301kg, for $1320 or 439c/kg.
L Birch sold 13 Angus steers, 306kg, for $1385 or 452c/kg.
B Costello sold 23 Angus steers, 279kg, for $1275 or 456c/kg.
S Perry sold 16 Angus steers, 240kg, for $1220 508c/kg.
In the heifers, Ard-Na-Sidhe sold eight Angus heifers, 386kg, for $1470 or 380c/kg and a second pen of 18 Black Baldy heifers, 380kg, for $1400 or 370c/kg.
D Howie sold 20 Angus heifers, 371kg, for $1390 or 374c/kg.
K Barns sold 22 Angus heifers, 388kg, for $1290 or 381c/kg and a second pen of 13 Angus heifers, 293kg, for $1100 or 375c/kg.
Start the day with all the big news in agriculture! Click here to sign up to receive our daily Stock & Land.
Bryce Eishold
Bryce is a senior journalist with Australian Community Media's Stock & Land where he reports on all aspects of agriculture. Bryce is also the president of the Rural Press Club of Victoria. Email Bryce at bryce.eishold@stockandland.com.au.
Bryce is a senior journalist with Australian Community Media's Stock & Land where he reports on all aspects of agriculture. Bryce is also the president of the Rural Press Club of Victoria. Email Bryce at bryce.eishold@stockandland.com.au.
