In roughly three hours on Friday, $6.6 million worth of cattle were sold at the monthly store cattle sale at Glenburnie Saleyards, in what is thought to be the highest grossing sale ever held at the Mount Gambier, SA, yards.
Any belief that the market had found its new level after the highs of the December and January sales was shattered, with prices soaring $150 to $200 a head and many buyers going home empty-handed without even having a bid.
Extreme demand driven by good rain and abundant feed in northern Vic and central NSW forced prices to skyrocket.
Competition across the yarding was strong, with buyers from Bairnsdale, Warrnambool, Mildura and Leongatha in Vic, as well as Albury and Cootamundra in NSW, competing with local graziers and feedlotters.
A tremendous average of $1650 was paid across the 4021 cattle sold.
"Today we saw as good a run of cattle as I've ever seen at Mount Gambier, particularly the weight and quality of the black steers," Elders Mount Gambier's David Creek said.
"It's the strongest store sale in SA by a long shot.
"Buyers are coming from all points of the compass to buy our cattle and every month, we're seeing the market rise to new levels.
"The superb quality of cattle yarded today from all areas of the South East of SA and Western Districts of Vic is a reflection of the ideal season we've just experienced."
The top price a kilogram of $7.96 - equating to $1202 - was paid for a draft of 23 Pasturefed Cattle Assurance System-eligible, four-month-old to 6mo Hereford steers, 151kg, from Talisker, Casterton, Vic.
Talisker's 58 steers weighing 151-295kg averaged $1337.
Dismal Swamp, Lyons, Vic, sold 124, 18-20mo, PCAS Angus steers weighing 410-585kg for an average of $2221.
The Vic vendor achieved the top price per head of the sale for a draft 17 steers, 533kg, that made $2310 or $4.33/kg.
All classes of cattle sold at prices considerably stronger than in January, with returns for the lighter classes rising more than $2/kg.
Angus steers weighing 450kg and over sold from $3.93/kg to $4.62/kg, while heavy coloured steers made $4.06-$4.49/kg.
Prices for 360-450kg Angus steers ranged from $4.61-$5.18/kg, with 360-450kg coloured steers making $3.71-$4.91/kg.
Angus steers weighing between 320-360kg sold from $4.72-$5.42/kg, with coloured steers in the same weight range returning $4.44-$5.33/kg.
Angus steers, 280-320kg, sold from $4.41-$5.93kg, while coloured steers in this weight range made $4.68-$5.44/kg.
At the lighter end of the yarding, Angus steers under 280kg were $5.43-$7.74/kg and coloured steers under 280kg sold for $4.91-$7.96/kg.
Wannon Pastoral, Hamilton, Vic, sold 128 September 2020-drop, PCAS, Ebony Beef-blood Angus steers weighing 190-207kg for an average of $1487.50.
Its 207kg heaviest draft sold at $1530 or $7.39/kg to Elders Heywood.
Cadara Pastoral, Mount Benson, sold 110 PCAS Angus steers weighing 209-297kg for an average of $1542.
Its 297kg top draft made $1650 or $5.56/kg to Creek Livestock Mount Gambier, with a 209kg lighter draft selling at $1445 or $6.91/kg to Squire.
Tarcoola, Casterton, sold 12 Mawarra-bld Hereford steers weighing 530kg for $2150 or $4.06/kg to Creek Livestock.
A second draft, 459kg, sold at $2060 or $4.49/kg to Garrison, which also bought 12 Moora-bld Hereford steers, 519kg, at $2160 or $4.16/kg from Swan Lake, Heywood, Vic.
RL&SJ Sawyer, Casterton, sold seven PCAS Angus steers, 499kg, at $2200 or $4.41/kg to Thomas Foods International, with their draft of four PCAS Angus-cross steers, 323kg, sold to Miller Whan & John at $1550 or $4.80/kg.
Hunter Bros, Kingston SE, sold 17 PCAS Angus steers, 280kg, at $1660 or $5.93/kg to O'Connor & Graney, as well as a draft of 19 PCAS, August/September 2020-drop Murray Grey steers, 283kg, at $1540 or $5.44/kg to Miller Whan & John account Lindsay.
All classes of heifers also sold stronger, with the lighter classes selling from 40 cents/kg to 70c/kg dearer.
Heifers weighing more than 450kg sold from $3.35-$4.10/kg; 360-450kg heifers made $4.09-$4.75/kg; 320-360kg heifers sold dearer at $4.37-$4.81/kg; 280-320kg heifers were $4.42-$5.20/kg; and heifers under 280kg made $4.37-$5.74/kg.
The top heifer price/hd of $2080 or $4.10/kg was paid by Creek Livestock for a draft of 17 PCAS, Te Mania-bld Angus heifers, 507kg, from Boona Pty Ltd, Mumbannar, Vic.
A draft of 15, 541kg Hereford heifers from Swan Lake was also snapped up by Creek Livestock at $2020 or $3.73/kg.
Greenbank, Mount Gambier, sold 13 Te Angie-bld Poll Hereford heifers, 244kg, at $1400 or $5.74/kg - the highest heifer price/kg - to Miller Whan & John account Apsley.
A 265kg second draft sold at $1480 or $5.58/kg to Dale Keatley, Nutrien Livestock Mount Gambier.
NT&FD Emerson, Drik Drik, Vic, sold 64 Kanimbla, Ravensdale and Doodle Cooma-bld Hereford and Angus-cross heifers with weights from 268-366kg for an average of $1515.
The Emersons' 268kg lightest draft sold to Ray White Albury, NSW, at $1490 or $5.56/kg.
Also going to Ray White Albury was a draft of 14 Granite Ridge-bld Angus heifers, 266kg, at $1470 or $5.53/kg from JA&KM Peel, Mount Benson.
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