Pakenham cattle prices increase as feedlotters, local graziers open their wallets

Agents yarded 2100 cattle at the Victorian Livestock Exchange in a sale which included runs of feature feedlot-weight cattle and weaner calves, as well as secondary types as a result of the wet and cool weather.

Fewer pens of Friesian cattle went under the hammer during the three-hour sale, as grown bullocks sold beyond $3000 a head in the opening pens of the sale.

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Weaner cattle, aged eight to 12 months, sold beyond 700 cents a kilogram, and in some cases dearer in places, as feedlots readjusted their appetite for heavier cattle compared to the last steer and heifer sale.

A feature of the sale was a consignment of 41 Angus steers by Sue and Michael Turra, Jackson's Pastoral, Boorool, 22 months, 588 kilograms, which made $3170 or 539c/kg.

The sale started with two pens of black cattle, both bought by feedlots, offered by S & J Purser, Anderson, which included 20 steers, 587kg, for $3180 or 541c/kg, and 12 steers, 543kg, for $3060 or 563c/kg.

P & J Shanklan, Lang Lang East, sold 24 steers, 530kg, for $3020 or 569c/kg, and 17 steers, 500kg, for $2860 or 572c/kg.

W Nixon, Wonga Park, sold seven steers, 576kg, for $3000 or 520c/kg, and five heifers, 499kg, for $2420 or 484c/kg.

R & S White, Dromana, sold 11 Angus and Black Baldy steers, 636kg, for $3070 or 482c/kg.

E Downie, Warragul, sold two pens of 20-month-old steers including a pen of 16, 553kg, for $3130 or 566c/kg, and 22 steers, 496kg, for $2830 or 570c/kg.

BJ Wallace, Yarragon, sold 19 steers, 530kg, for $3060 or 577c/kg, while Hazelwood Downs, Hazelwood, sold 18 steers, 564kg, for $3110 or 551c/kg.

Two major feedlotters, including JBS feedlot J&K Australia and Anthony Hullick, Keswick, were active throughout a large majority of the sale, with additional support from Teys Charlton.

Alex Scott & Staff Pakenham livestock agent Terry Ahearn said mid-500kg cattle were up by 15-20c/kg.

"I did feel there were lots of opportunities in the weaner cattle but that probably came down to quality and type as well because it was hard to get anything over 700c/kg," he said.

"We also had Northern Victoria Livestock and Nutrien Euroa here buying those feeder-type calves as well but it's quite wet at the moment so we didn't have a great deal of support from South Gippsland agents."

Everitt, Seeley and Bennetts director Les Seely noted an improvement in prices in grown cattle, but said it boiled down to supply and demand.

"One processor in particular seemed to have a much-improved appetite for the top end of feedlot cattle," he said.

At the lighter end of the sale, Cremona Park, Caldermeade, sold its annual draft of 165 Angus mixed-sex calves, including 19 steers, 372kg, for $2360, and a second pen of 21 steers, 318kg, for $2260 or 710c/kg.

Its draft of Angus heifers included a pen of 16, 298kg, for $1700 or 570c/kg, and 16 heifers, 265kg, for $1580 or 596c/kg.

The Cremona Park steers were aged nine to 10 months, while the heifers were aged seven to nine months.

D Kroger, Main Ridge, sold 20 steers, 293kg, for $1930 or 658c/kg, and 20 heifers, 275kg, for $1640 or 596c/kg.

Estiville Nominees, Pty Ltd sold 19 steers, 274kg, for $1840 or 671c/kg.

Lindinbrook Pastoral, Bunyip North, sold nine Speckle Park steers, 285kg, for $1600 or 561c/kg and eight heifers, 253kg, for $1450 or 573c/kg.

Riverglen Pastoral, Bunyip, sold 20 steers, 316kg, for $2110 or 667c/kg.

Elders Pakenham auctioneer Michael Robertson said the combination of increased demand by feedlots, and a yarding which featured fewer heavier and grown cattle, added to the strength of the market.

"We sold four pens of heifers in a row to TDC Livestock and Property at Penola, South Australia, and they were chasing lighter-weight Angus heifers to put back out onto feed," he said.

"We were pretty happy with how it went right through, even the heifers were dearer than we expected.

"But when you went through the entire market, if you wanted to find light-weight Angus heifers in lots of six or seven, there weren't many to pick from so that also helped the buoyancy of the sale."

Nutrien Delaney Livestock and Property director Anthony Delaney said local restockers also bolstered prices.

"I think it was a very firm sale on the older and heavier steers which sold to dearer rates, and I think your better lines of weaner calves sold dearer than we've seen recently," he said.

In other sales, L Mauro, Rye, sold seven steers, 454kg, for $2540 or 559c/kg.

P & L Hawkins, Red Hill South, sold seven steers, 309kg, for $1990 or 644c/kg, and eight heifers, 293kg, for $1580 or 539c/kg.

Silverbrae Charolais, Outtrim, sold 16 steers, 320kg, for $1960 or 612c/kg, and 17 heifers, 289kg, for $1840 or 636c/kg.

John Fleming, Stratford, sold 26 Angus steers, 18-20 months, including 12 steers, 513kg, for $2850 or 555c/kg, and 11 steers, 505kg, for $2830 or 560c/kg.