Mortlake light steers to 816c/kg as grown steers soar past $3000

Agents yarded more than 2100 cattle at the Western District Livestock Exchange as the facility moved to hosting fortnightly store cattle sales, as opposed to monthly markets in the past.

Mortlake Stock Agents' Association president Matt Sculley said the decision to schedule sales on a fortnightly basis was due to an influx of cattle through the Western District yards.

"We've been getting too many cattle to physically get into one sale a month," Mr Sculley said.

"Around 5000 cattle is a nice number to have but we've been getting in excess of that and we hope two sales a month will address that.

"Vendors have supported it, the buyers have also supported it and clearly today it was a very strong sale."

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Last calendar year, the WVLX processed more than 100,000 cattle in 12 months, and agents said sales would be held on the first and third Thursdays of each month in 2022.

Mr Sculley said a handful of buyers purchasing cattle for restockers north of the Murray River, and several Victorian and interstate feedlot orders made market demand comparable to recent sales.

"Grown steers sold to a dearer rate, your yearling cattle around 400 kilos were very similar compared to our last sale and younger steers received more local competition compared to a fortnight ago," he said.

"Grown heifers were firm to possibly a little bit dearer, however, the weaner heifers from 320-370kg were a bit cheaper compared to the last sale."

Agents said the addition of online sales platform AuctionsPlus created a 20-30 cent premium for lighter cattle, despite young heifers still trending lower compared to last month's sale.

"We've had a little bit of rain recently and there was more lighter cattle today compared to recent sales so that helped the smaller end of the yarding," Mr Sculley said.

Grown steers averaged 541c/kg or $2624 a head, while grown heifers averaged 541c/kg or $2334/head as weaner steers and heifers averaged 622c/kg and 597c/kg, respectively.

G O'Lockhart sold the best presented pen of steers with 12 Angus, 271kg, which made 698c/kg or $1891.

Evans Farming Trust sold the best presented pen of heifers with 14 Angus, 350kg, selling for 532c/kg or $1862.

The sale started with several pens of cow and calf units, including R & B Hawkes who sold 12 cows with calves at foot, depastured to a Banquet bull, for $4000.

Account Highfield sold two Hereford cows with calves at foot for $2800.

Boortkoi Pastoral Co sold the dearest pen of weaner steers with two Angus-cross calves, 212kg, fetching 816c/kg or $1734.

The dearest pen of the sale on a price per head basis was sold by Strathjoy Family Trust which sold one steer, 760kg, for $3450.

DJ, CF, and RJ Gordon sold 10 grown heifers, the dearest female pen of the sale, 540kg, for 502c/kg or $2710.

The steer section started with 17 Angus steers consigned by Gazette Hills, May/June 2020-drop, 518kg, which made 562c/kg or $2911 and three steers, 550kg, which made 520c/kg or $2860.

Fitzroy Banks sold 35 steers, 18 months, 469kg, for 608c/kg or $2851 and 18 steers, 508kg, for 570c/kg or $2895.

Davencol sold eight steers, 20 months, 586kg, for 520c/kg or $3047 and six steers, 622kg, for 484c/kg or $3010.

The same vendor also sold 10 heifers, 540kg, for 502c/kg or $2710.

Marjadah Rural sold 14 steers, 18 months, 541kg, for 532c/kg or $2878.

Brickmakers West sold 16 steers, 16-18 months, 474kg, for 595c/kg or $2820 and 21 heifers, 443kg, for 544c/kg or $2409.

Derry Lodge sold 10 European Union-accredited steers, 18 months, 525kg, for 580c/kg or $3045 and nine steers, 413kg, for 592c/kg or $2444.

The same vendor also sold eight heifers, 438kg, for 542c/kg or $2373.

Winnidad Pastoral sold 23 steers, 17-18 months, 432kg, for 600c/kg or $2592 and 13 steers, 406kg, for 600c/kg or $2436.

The same vendor also sold 21 heifers, 427kg, for 558c/kg or $2382 and 17 heifers, 382kg, for 574c/kg or $2192.

P & M Kirk sold 10 Hereford steers, 14 months, 367kg, for 585c/kg or $2146 and nine steers, 388kg, for 620c/kg or $2405.

Gilmour Pastoral sold 14 steers, 15-16 months, 405kg, for 604c/kg or $2446 or 604c/kg and five steers, 536kg, for 540c/kg or $2894.

The same vendor also sold 14 Angus heifers, 15-16 months, 375kg, for 568c/kg or $2130.

Taylors Ranch sold 11 Angus steers, 493kg, for 552c/kg or $2721, 14 steers, 461kg, for 552c/kg or $2544 and another 14 steers, 505kg, for 552c/kg or $2787.

Ethlyn Place sold seven steers, 660kg, for 472c/kg or $3115.

Jamanlea sold 17 Angus steers, 663kg, for 500c/kg or $3315 and 10 Angus steers, 675kg, for 500c/kg or $3375.

Alto Angus sold 11 Angus steers, April/May 2021-drop, 353kg, for 650c/kg or $2294 and 12 steers, 293kg, for 682c/kg or $1998.

Windorah sold 11 Hereford steers, March/April 2021-drop, 352kg, for 622c/kg or $2189 and 15 steers, 308kg, for 642c/kg or $1977.

Merstcan sold the first pen to pass 700c/kg with five Angus-cross steers, eight to 10 months, 256kg, for 706c/kg or $1807 and nine heifers, nine to 10 months, 280kg, for 680c/kg or $1904.

Geraki Pastoral sold 25 steers, 12-14 months, 361kg, for 640c/kg or $2310.

Erinmore sold 16 steers, 11-12 months, 406kg, for 600c/kg or $2436 and 13 steers, 341kg, for 660c/kg or $2250.

Ferndale sold 15 steers, 10 months, 394kg, for 598c/kg or $2356 and 57 steers, 351kg, for 668c/kg or $2344 which was bought by Albury, NSW, commission buyer Duncan Brown.

Romsdale, Location, sold 14 steers, 333kg, for 686c/kg or $2284.

Silverhill Angus sold 13 EU-accredited steers, 233kg, for 792c/kg or $1845 to Plaashuis Partnership, Port Campbell, and 27 Angus heifers, 284kg, for 690c/kg or $1959 via AuctionsPlus.

The same vendor also sold another eight heifers, 213kg, for 760c/kg or $1618.

Five Iron sold 10 steers, 259kg, for 722c/kg or $1869.

Glenfern sold 16 steers, 12-14 months, 313kg, for 638c/kg or $1996.

The same vendor also sold 28 Hereford heifers, 12 months, 295kg, for 630c/kg or $1858 and 10 heifers, 251kg, for 620c/kg or $1556.

Evans Farming Trust sold 20 Angus steers, March/April 2021-drop, 383kg, for 610c/kg or $2336.

Kilnoorat sold 16 heifers, 15-16 months, 491kg, for 518c/kg or $2543.

Coolana sold 18 EU-accredited heifers, 421kg, for 582c/kg or $2450 and 12 heifers, 404kg, for 570c/kg or $2302.

Cobra Killuc sold 13 heifers, 461kg, for 530c/kg or $2443.

Skene sold five Angus heifers, April/May 2021-drop, 323kg, for 570c/kg or $1841 and five heifers, 283kg, for 620c/kg $1754.

Blackwood Hill sold 13 heifers, 11-12 months, 312kg, for 600c/kg or $1872.

G O'Lockhart sold 12 Angus heifers, 10-11 months, 253kg, for 630c/kg or $1593.