Leongatha calves sell to 545c/kg in final 2020 store sale

South Gippsland agents yarded 1500 cattle, two weeks after their mega 4500-head yarding which some described as one of their best sales at the Victorian Livestock Exchange.

Weaner steers sold above 500 cents a kilogram while heifers fetched prices north of 450c/kg.

Restockers were prominent throughout the market, while feedlot and processor activity was noticeably quieter compared to the first December sale.

Feature lines included Mark and Melissa Schellenkens, M & M Cattle Co, Bass, who sold 53 Shorthorn and Angus steers including a pen of 11 steers, 333kg, for $14540 or 462c/kg.

The also sold 10 steers, 325kg, for $1550 or 476c/kg and 10 steers, 282kg, for $1480 or 524c/kg.

Neil Smith, Pound Creek, sold 163 Limousin-cross steers and heifers including a 13 steers, 413kg, for $1610 or 389c/kg and a second pen of 19, 360kg, for $1560 or 433c/kg.

Mr Smith also sold 19 heifers, 341kg, for $1460 or 426c/kg and 14 heifers, 375kg, for $1510 or 402c/kg.

M & D McCaughan, Pound Creek, sold 40 steers including eight steers, 404kg, for $1560 or 386c/kg.

Elders Leongatha and Korumburra livestock manager Rohan McRae said the mixed yarding held up reasonably well.

"It was probably a bit of a clean up before we get into the new year calf sales," Mr McRae said.

"It was a mixed buying field and no one was really dominant and the regular feedlot and graziers were here along with a few extra restockers in the crowd."

Regular volume buyers included Anthony Hullick, Westside Meats and Peter Lee, Garrison Cattle Feeders, while agents from West and East Gippsland were also present.

Don McMillan, Airly, sold five steers, 313kg, for $1390 or 444c/kg, seven steers, 299kg, for $1480 or 422c/kg and 10 steers, 264kg, for $1440 or 545c/kg.

Richard and Ethel Foat, Woodside, sold six steers, 311kg, for $1590 or 511c/kg. The same vendors also sold eight heifers, 261kg, for $1210 or 463c/kg.

Among the dearest pens per head, Brian Tucker sold eight steers, 568kg, for $2190 or 385c/kg.

J Hayward, Leongatha South, sold 11 steers, 584kg, for $2260 or 386c/kg and 19 steers, 542kg, for $2120 or 391c/kg.

Nutrien Leongatha livestock manager Brian McCormack said there was less feedlot activity compared to recent sales.

"The better-bred cattle that were here sold equally to a fortnight ago and some of the plainer cattle were off the top a bit," Mr McCormack said.

SEJ Leongatha livestock manager James Kyle described the auction as a "typical end-of-year clean up".

"We had a lot of European cattle today, the likes of the Smith's and McCaughan's, and they were cattle that they didn't get off as vealers and it's probably played dividends because they made more in here that what they would have if we had of hooked them or sold them at the fat sale," Mr Kyle said.

Alex Scott & Staff livestock manager Dane Perczyk said the the sale was clearly cheaper than a fortnight ago.

"The good weaners were still up to 500c/kg and feeder-weight steers might have been off the top a little and making 420 to 430 cents a kilogram," Mr Perczyk said.

"We've had a bit of rain but it is drying off and that's why I was impressed because with the hot weather and the fat job dropping, the store prices still held up."

J & A Wright-Smith, Yarramundi, Woori Yallock, sold 22 steers, 483kg, for $1990 or 412c/kg and 16 steers, 359kg, $1670 or 465c/kg.

Southern Pastoral, Fish Creek, sold four steers, 500kg, for $1880 or 376c/kg and another four, 333kg, for $1350 or 405c/kg.

B Hall sold 13 steers, 364kg, for $1590 or 436/kg.

K Oddy sold nine steers, 334kg, for $1410 or 422c/kg.

Wombat Hill Angus sold 13 steers, 312kg, for $1550 or 496c/kg.

Woodcote sold five steers, 260kg, for $1110 or 426c/kg.

B Raduavich, Sale, sold seven steers, 442kg, for $1880 or 425c/kg.

B & N Shandley, Meeniyan, sold six steers, 324kg, for $1400 or 432c/kg and eight steers, 283kg, for $1340 or 473c/kg.

C Zissis, Mardan, sold three steers, 320kg, for $1310 or 409c/kg and 10 steers, 234kg, for $1070 or 457c/kg.

G & M Parker, Ryanston, sold 11 steers, 405kg, for $1780 or 439c/kg.

J & A Wright-Smith, Yarramundi, Woori Yallock, sold 25 heifers, 340kg, for $1600 or 470c/kg.

Don McMillan, Airly, sold eight heifers, 308kg, for $1290 or 418c/kg.

Yuri Mazentseff sold five heifers, 275kg, for $1240 or 450c/kg.

Newnham sold eight cows with calves at foot for $3180, six cows with calves at foot for $3080, four cows with calves at foot for $3120 and six cows with calves at foot for $2950.

Buneep Park sold 10 cows with calves at foot for $2440, nine cows with calves at foot for $2320 and 11 cows with calves at foot for $2320.

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