Pakenham store sale prices drop again, on smaller, winter yarding

Agents said winter, cattle quality and well as foot and mouth weighed on the mind of producers and buyers at the 1100 head steer and heifer sale.

They said the market was several hundred dollars a head down, in some sections, on a yarding that was much smaller than previous sales.

Delaney Livestock and Property auctioneer Anthony Delaney said the correction had to happen, at some stage.

"It's not the price driving the drop in numbers, it's just the cattle have already been sold," he said.

"Quality wise, it's dropped right off and - in the last fortnight - winter has really revved up down here."

Mr Delaney agreed prices were down several hundred dollars a head, on some drafts.

"In saying that, we have been getting away with it here more than the other centres have - the day of reckoning has come and we are lined up with everywhere else now."

Alex Scott & Staff had the bulk of the yarding and auctioneer David Setches said heavier steers were cheaper.

"They made up to 575 cents a kilogram, which is probably 20-30c/kg off what it was a fortnight ago.

"Once you got off the feeder specs, it chopped and changed a lot, depending on the breed and quality"

South Gippsland agents, from Korumburra and Leongatha, were prominent at the sale, while Keswick and Westside were also active on feeder cattle.

"Keswick put a floor in the feeder section," Mr Setches said.

"I think, with FMD, a lot of the south Gippsland agents came to scope out the mood and what may transpire over the next couple of weeks, until people's pulse returns to normal," he said.

"There were certainly people here who sold cattle, because FMD was on their mind."

Austin and Madeleine Hoban, Sunbury, sold 11 steers, 464kg, for $2440 or 525c/kg.

"I didn't know what to expect, but I'm pretty happy," Mr Hoban said.

The couple put Angus bulls over 50 Hereford and Shorthorn cows, and sell steers and heifers around this time of year, he said.

"I think they were slightly better prices than last year, because they were slightly bigger animals, he said.

4 Aces Livestock, Pakenham's Mick Brooks and daughters Amanda Egan and Kate Kujic were in the market for steers.

"We are already into horses," Ms Kujic said.

Ms Egan said she and her sister "were brought up with cattle so it's time we had a crack at it [beef production]."

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Elders sold a feature line of feeder weight 97 Reiland and Hazeldean-blood steers, from Aquila Fields, Neerim South.

Elders auctioneer Michael Robertson said the entire consignment was snapped up by O'Connors, for a very good result.

"We got out of trouble with these steers - there were 97 in the draft and I think they averaged 472kg, coming back at just over $2650 a head," he said.

"J&F was the losing bidder, I always appreciate the underbidder, they make the sale."

He said there had been a correction on the feedlot cattle and crossbreds were struggling, as the impact of FMD appeared to be weighing on the market.

"It's such early days and there is no clear answer, from any angle you look at it," Mr Robertson said.

"There are a lot of people who are a little bit nervous about it, so they may sell cattle, other people just want to hold on and let it blow over."

Aquila Fields sold its first pen of 18 Reiland-blood steers, 515kg, for $2750, or 534c/kg; another pen of steers, 462kg, sold for $2600 or 562c/kg.

Neerim High Plains, Neerim, sold 11 steers, 453kg, for $2400 or 529c/kg.

D and M Cowie, Garfield, sold 10 steers, 644kg, for $2560 or 397c/kg.

N and D Cowie, Garfield, sold 14 steers, 579kg, for $2640 or 456c/kg.

Kent Balas, Tarwin Lower, sold 14 steers, 422kg, for $2280 or 540c/kg.

6 Huski, Yarra Glen, sold nine steers, 503kg, for $2760 or 548c/kg.

D and M Balcers, Ballnarring, sold nine steers, 513kg, for $2700 or 526c/kg.

J and L Fanning, Jeetho, sold their first pen of nine steers, 441kg, for $2560 or 580c/kg.

E and C Lissenden, Yarragon, sold nine steers, 534kg, for $2690 or 503c/kg.

Y and R Waite, Glengarry, sold 12 steers, 552kg, for $2520 or 456c/kg.

ME and AT Marson, Caldermeade, sold 11 steers, 610kg, for $2940 or 482c/kg.

Hamer's Pastoral, Hamer's Haven, sold 15 steers, 614kg, for $3000 or 488c/kg.

Lace Investments, Ventnor, sold 30 Lawson and Absolute Angus steers, 595kg, for $3020 or 507c/kg.

AJC Farming, Cora Lynn, sold 12 steers, 381kg, for $1850 or 485c/kg.

Allnutt Family Trust, Pearcedale, sold 22 heifers, 251kg, for $1190 or 474c/kg.

Brennan Contractors, Arthurs Creek, sold seven heifers, 291kg, for $1360 or 467c/kg.

Spierings Pastoral, Nar Nar Goon, sold three steers, 307kg, for $1370 or 446c/kg; Kay Spierings also sold 11 steers and heifers, weighing between 255-320kg, in the same pen, for $1140 a head.

AS and PK Aitken, Korumburra, sold seven heifers, 348kg, for $1330 or 382c/kg.

J Meneghan, Seaview, sold six heifers, 291kg, for $1390 or 476c/kg.