A top quality line-up of grown steers and heifers attracted strong competition at the October store sale at the Central Victorian Livestock Exchange Balllarat.
Thirty lots of steers sold for more than $2000 while heifers topped at $2430 and 16 lots sold in excess of $1800.
Steers in a range of 180 to 280 kilograms mainly sold from $1340 to $1500, steers 280 to 400kg sold from $1450 to $1740 and steers over 400kg sold from $1560 to $2450.
Of the heifers those in a range of 180 to 280kg sold mainly from $1050 to $1450, heifers 280 to 400kg made between $1270 to $1680 and those above 400kg made $1500 to $2010.
Competition was keen from a wide area with processors, feedlotters, bullock fatteners and restockers present. Once again a number of heifers were purchased to go to the paddock for breeding.
TB White and Sons auctioneer, Leo White, said it was a magnificent yarding of cattle.
"It was a much better quality yarding in respect of grown steers and heifers, and they sold very well," he said.
"We topped at $2450 for 640kg steers, which was very pleasing, but as you got down the line to 400kg steers they were making $1900 to $1950, an outstanding result.
"People are changing over their bullocks and getting damn good money for them and have money in their pockets, and they've got grass in their paddock and they want to buy."
Mr White said that we had been expecting the prime sales to come off the boil, but cows had got dearer and bullocks were "very good".
"It just shows that the numbers of cattle are not in the country," he said.
"The heifer results were outstanding with a lot of heifers making similar money to steers. There were grown heifers making 420 to 430c/kg and lighter heifers making 480 to 500c/kg."
There were very good cows and calves available as well.
Mr White said there was a genuine shortage of cattle, "especially breeding stock".
Starting on the heavy steers the first pen topped the sale with nine, 640kg, sold account T Simpson, that made $2450.
The next pen was account B & J Cahill, with seven steers, 635kg making $2410.
Sweeney Road Partnership sold 18 steers, 523kg, that made $2140 and a pen of 10, 515kg, that made $2120.
S Tuohey sold a pen of seven steers, 580kg, that made $2270 and seven at 571kg for $2240.
Nebpak had 12 at 527kg that made $2100 as did a pen of 20 account F & G Richardson & Sons, 499kg.
Brackenhurst P/L sold a line of 30 steers, 14-15 months, with a pen of 12 at 510kg making $2180 and 18 at 499kg sold for $2110.
Gervasoni sold a pen of 15 heavy steers, 507kg, that made $2100 and nine at 478kg that made $2000. They also had a pen of 13 grown heifers, 490kg, that made $1960.
McAroy Farm sold six steers, 595kg, for $2310 and six heifers, 18-20 months, that weighed 521kg and sold for $1980.
A draft of steers and heifers account Silverlea included a pen of eight, 581kg, that made $2280. A pen of eight steers, 458kg, sold for $1920, and seven at 361kg for $1690. Five heifers, at 408kg sold for $1640.
B & J Tuohey sold a pen of 17 steers, 12-14mths, 442kg, for $1990 and 10 at 323kg for $1700.
In the weaner section PS & B Kennedy sold a draft of 60 Angus/Hereford mixed sex, September/October 2019-drop, with the lead Angus steers weighing 428kg and selling for $1950 and the black baldies, 405kg, making $1900. The heifer portion weighed 368kg and sold for $1560.
A consignment of mixed sex Angus weaners sold account A & J Russell, Mt Franklin, sold to $1740 for the steer portion. Te top was for a pen of seven 392kg that made 43c/kg. The tops on a liveweight basis was a pen of 11 of the calves, weighing 329kg and selling for $1670 or 507c/kg, while a third pen of seven steers, 383kg made $1420 or 501c/kg. The heifers sold in two lines with 11, weighing 345kg selling for $1430 and six at 295kg for $1280.
AN & JC McKenzie forwarded a consignment that included 22 steers, 437kg that made $1940 and 27 heifers that weighed 418kg and made $1770.
Simply Put Holdings sold a pen of six steers, 360kg, that made $1650 and Ag Green sold six steers, 475kg,that made $1920.
Three grown heifers sold for $2340.
A pen of 26 weaner heifers, 455kg sold account CAB Investments for $1879, six at 485kg made $1910 and 10 at 431kg made $1750.
A line of eight cows, third calvers, with well grown calves at foot, and PTIC to Banquet bulls, sold account Pempel & Pisano, for $3280.
Moyreisk Pastoral Co sold lines of heifers with Charolais calves to eight weeks at foot and PTIC to Charolais bulls with that sold for $3050.
A draft of heifers, two-year-old PTIC comprised 20 and sold account GD Reid & Son for $2280.