Yea cattle prices ease as major buyers move in at monthly market

Agents yarded about 1430 head which was a considerable reduction on recent sale numbers.

After a yarding of 2059 head in April and a feature spring weaner sale in May with 3500 cattle, the June market was a sign of the cooler weather and start of winter, Elders Yea livestock manager Jamie Quinlan said.

He said that there was a small but well-presented consignment of well-bred heavier cattle which sold to firm rates.

"Prices for well-presented, big lots of cattle remained firm, but the secondary cattle were cheaper than they might have been before," Mr Quinlan said.

"(It was) around $50-$100 cheaper per head than previous sales.

"Good cattle were few and far between."

He said after the recent large yardings and strong sales at Yea, producers had largely sold their spring-drop cattle as the complex would now start experiencing winter yardings.

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John and Lisa Bickley, Goornong, put forward the best-presented pen of 20 Angus steers at $2650 a head according to Mr Quinlan.

In total, the Bickleys sold 33 Angus steers, 423 kilograms, for $2650 or 617 cents a kilogram.

Other notable consignments included Airwire Pty Ltd, Eaglemont, which sold 43 Angus steers, 279kg, for $1985 or 711c/kg.

Goulburn Valley Water, Shepparton, sold 71 mixed breed steers, 460kg, for $2566 or 556c/kg.

Greg Woodbrun, Romsey, sold 15 Angus and Charolais steers, 295kg, for $1923 or 650c/kg.

Underpinning the market were feedlotters and commission buyers from Victoria and interstate north of the Murray River.

The majority of cattle were purchased by a handful of volume buyers including Garrison Cattle Feeders and Nutrien livestock operations manager southern Australia Ron Rutledge.

Commission buyers including Melbourne-based Campbell Ross and Duncan Brown, Albury, NSW, were also active.

"It was a wintry yarding of cattle", Mr Quinlan said.

"We were only just nudging 10 degrees in the daytime and it is cold and wet."