Steers to $2420 at strong Leongatha store cattle sale

Agents yarded 2400 cattle for the fortnightly store sale where feedlot demand was noticeably stronger compared to recent sales.

Additional competition among west and east Gippsland agents pushed prices higher than a fortnight ago, while orders were active for restockers in NSW.

Elders Leongatha and Korumburra livestock manager Rohan McRae quoted the sale $50 dearer a head than the first August sale.

"Prices were good and the lines were smaller because we're out of season but what was here had some breeding about it and sold accordingly," Mr McRae said.

"We had heavy steers out to $2400 and weaners that were 300 kilos and making 500 cents a kilogram and if they were 350kg they were making 450c/kg."

The dearest pen of the sale was for a pen of eight steers, 640kg, owned by G and J Ray, Tarraville, which made $2420 or 378c/kg.

Pens of weaner steers sold above 500c/kg, while yearling heifers sold from 400c/kg-450c/kg on average.

Their second pen of 13 steers, 618kg, made $2390 or 386c/kg.

Volume buyers included Campbell Ross and Anthony Hullick, buying for respective clients, while commission buyer Duncan Brown was active sourcing cattle for restockers at Albury, Cootamundra and Bathurst, NSW.

Buyers were complementary of the breeding and quality of yarding despite there being only a handful of large runs of cattle.

One of those drafts was a run of 191 Hereford, Angus and Angus Hereford-cross steers offered by Strzelecki Park, Yarragon.

The run averaged 542kg, $2142 a head and 395c/kg.

"The Strzelecki Park cattle were good, properly bred cattle and not old cattle either," Nutrien Leongatha livestock manager Brian McCormack said.

"They were bought as calves and yearling-off cattle dare I say it this time last year through the winter months so they were only rising-two or not much older than two."

A majority of the run were bought by bullock fatteners.

The first pen of 19 steers, 617kg, made $2200 or 356c/kg, followed by the second pen of 17 steers, 571kg, which made $2140 or 374c/kg.

Nine steers, 591kg, made $2280 or 385c/kg, while a pen of 18 steers, 479kg, made $1980 or 413c/kg.

Mr McCormack said most of the heifers sold in the Nutrien sale were bought by feedlots.

Alex Scott and Staff auctioneer Dane Perczyk said the sale offered a good selection of feeder-weight cattle.

"Heifers were also strong and there's no bargain there," he said.

"You can't get to the heifers thinking you're going to pick some up for much less."

A small offering of cows and calves sold to $2500 while most of the heifers with calves at foot ranged between $2200-$2300.

"It's been so wet over the last week to 10 days down here and we've had 50-100mm," Mr Perczyk said,

"Some people are saying it's the wettest we've seen it since 1996 - a year which was very wet - and despite the wet conditions, I was pleased with the yarding of cattle because we had very few secondary types on offer."

L and L Seear, Willung South, sold five steers, 295kg, for $1400 or 474c/kg.

T and R Rees, Strzelecki, sold eight steers, 305kg, for $1310 or 429c/kg.

Pines Grazing, Giffard West, sold nine steers, 241kg, for $1210 or 502c/kg.

P Davies sold two steers, 610kg, for $2360 or 386c/kg.

MR McRae sold 10 steers, 337kg, for $1520 or 451c/kg.

D and V Milner, Inverloch, sold nine steers, 295kg, for $1380 or 467c/kg.

Groves Est. sold five steers, 282kg, for $1380 or 489c/kg.

Bass Coast Contract. sold four steers, 263kg, for $1260 or 479c/kg.

WN Walters, Dawson, sold 14 steers, 617kg, for $2270 or 363c/kg, and 14 steers, 606kg, for $2340 or 386c/kg.

North Side Pastoral, Inverloch, sold 20 steers, 401kg, for $1680 or 418c/kg.

AW and CM O'Mara, Glengarry sold 17 steers, 434kg, for $1840 or 423c/kg, and another 17, 374kg, for $1720 or 459c/kg.

I and R Hengstberger sold 16 steers, 292kg, for $1490 or 510c/kg.

R Barnacle, Loch, sold 11 steers, 249kg, for $1320 or 530c/kg.

D Land, Strath Creek, sold 16 steers, 230kg, for $1220 or 530c/kg.

D and Y Pike, Warragul, sold 20 steers, 419kg, for $1810 or 431c/kg.

Fulton Junction, Cape Paterson, sold 26 steers, 436kg, for $1860 or 426c/kg, and 24 steers, 399kg, for $1760 or 441c/kg.

Campbell and Cromwell, Mirboo North, sold 14 steers, 311kg, for $1570 or 504c/kg.

RG and AL Thorson, Dumbalk North, sold 10 steers, 572kg, for $2160 or 377c/kg.

Spectrum Finance, Tarwin Lower, sold 12 steers, 480kg, for $1930 or 402c/kg.

VM Quigley, Yinnar, sold 11 steers, 377kg, for $1655 or 438c/kg.

Jasmel Nominees, Tarwin Lower, sold 21 steers, 316kg, for $1600 or 506c/kg, and 19 steers, 295kg, for $1545 or 523c/kg.

D and M Hammond, Yallourn North, sold 10 steers, 216kg, for $1280 or 592c/kg.

D and M Trigg, Woodleigh, sold six heifers, 324kg, for $1340 or 413c/kg.

Pines Grazing, Giffard West, sold 12 heifers, 225kg, for $1110 or 493c/kg.

MR McRae, Cloverlea, sold 14 heifers, 333kg, for $1390 or 419c/kg.

P and V Milner, Inverloch, sold six heifers, 292kg, for $1250 or 428c/kg.

M Kee, Yarram, sold nine heifers, 304kg, for $1360 or 447c/kg.

J Stewart, Mirboo, sold 12 heifers, 299kg, for $1350 or 451c/kg.

AW and GM O'Mara, Glengarry, sold 21 heifers, 376kg, for $1540 or 404c/kg.

G and T McColl, Mardan, sold 19 heifers, 302kg, for $1330 or 440c/kg.

J and S Moncrief, Mirboo North, sold five heifers, 324kg, for $1440 or 444c/kg.

R and J Edwards, Fish Creek, sold 12 heifers, 280kg, for $1270 or 453c/kg.