Colac cattle prices retract as agents yard just 500 cattle at winter market

Agents yarded about 500 cattle at the Colac Regional Saleyards in what Charles Stewart Dove director Shelby Howard described as a very tough market.

"There was a very limited buying field," he said.

"Heavy cattle sold well on the day, but smaller cattle were very tough.

"It's pretty wet and cold and we don't have the growth in the feed we've had in recent years so there's not as much demand for the lighter cattle at the moment."

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Mr Howard said one Colac-based feedlotter was the most prominent buyer on the heavier cattle, while a handful of restockers sought the lighter end of the yarding.

"People are prepared to buy the heavier cattle so they can get them off quicker," he said.

It was a very mixed-quality yarding and there was a tail in the yarding, so once you came off those properly-bred cattle, it was very mixed throughout the sale.

"There was a feedlot buyer for the heavier end of the steers and heifers and the small cattle went really everywhere, mainly to restockers."

Account Evanglen sold two Charolais/Angus-cross steers, 398kg, for $2220 a head or 557 cents a kilogram, nine steers, 362kg, for $2190 or 604c/kg and three Speckle Park steers, 303kg, for $1750 or 577c/kg.

G & L Inglis sold seven Angus steers, 344kg, for $2190 or 636c/kg, two Charolais steers, 420kg, for $2220 or 528c/kg and four Charolais heifers, 333kg, for $1650 or 495c/kg.

Armistead Contracting sold five Angus steers, 324kg, for $2050 of 632c/kg, and four Limousin steers, 305kg, for $1760 or 577c/kg.

The sale vendor also sold two Limousin heifers, 320kg, for $1650 or 515c/kg, and two Angus heifers, 296kg, for $1550 or 523c/kg.

Bull Dust Park sold eight Angus steers for $1340.

JC & GA Evans, Limonite, sold 12 Angus steers, 15-16 months, 418kg, for $2390 or 571c/kg, and 21 steers, 11-12 months, 342kg, for $2310 or 675c/kg.

PJ Spencer, Cressy, sold nine Angus steers, 358kg, for $2160 or 603c/kg.

D & J Buchanan, Deans Marsh, sold eight Angus steers, 329kg, for $2130 or 647c/kg.

Charles Stewart & Co livestock manager James Breen said prices on secondary-type cattle eased the most.

"That's because there weren't a lot of restockers around, nor did we have northern support which really reflected in the results of the market," he said.

"We don't have a lot of grass locally so people are being cautious of the fact that we've still got another two months of wet weather.

"However, I think the market is only going to get dearer so those who bought today will be better in the long run."