Mortlake store sale continues recent trend of price drops in store markets

Agents yarded 4900 cattle in a sale that had a full and vibrant buying gallery eager to get purchases to the feedlots.

Elders Kerr & Co livestock manager Bruce Redpath said the sale had been impacted by trucks transporting cattle that had been bogged, but was a good yarding nevertheless.

"We've had some annual drafts of grown and weaner steers and heifers that come to this particular sale annually," he said.

"[The sale had] a fairly full field of normal buyers, but not all competed."

Grown steers fell back by about 30-40 cents cheaper than last store sale, while weaner steers started off around being up to 50 cents cheaper, but as that run of cattle went on, had firmed up a bit to around 30 to 40 cents cheaper.

The full draft of weaner heifers remained firm and did not get any cheaper with the majority of those cattle going back to restockers and others to breed from.

"It was a big crowd for us here, but certainly the heavier feeder steers had restricted competition and were harder to sell at times, for what was quality cattle," he said.

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The majority of buyers were feedlotters, although there were contingents of local buyers as well as those sending cattle to fatteners South Gippsland and near Mount Gambier.

Mr Redpath said agents were anticipating a huge store sale in a month's time, with a potential 7000 cattle slated for Mortlake to see out the year, but wet conditions are making it a unique situation for livestock right now.

"No day is the same in a stock agent's job but I can't remember where it's so wet everywhere," he said.

"The accessibility in and out for cattle has just become nearly non existent and lately there's a lot more things for people to think about when putting cattle onto a paddock of feedlots, so it'll be interesting as to what happens in upcoming months."

Glenn Judd from Southern Grampians Livestock said the good-sized Mortlake sale was "more or less a beef sale".

"The sale had been competitive but we finished up at two so it gave some people who came a long way the chance to get home with their cattle home," he said.

Mr Judd said many locals in particular were interested in heifers for breeding purposes which influenced buyers pay up to 780 cents per kilogram for those types of cattle.

"We've recently had phone calls from as far as Goondiwindi and others in Victoria for heifers, but they are in demand and others are keen as well." He said.

"Breeders are telling me on the phone that they are looking for replacement stock right now but they want genuine and certain types of replacement stock,"

"They're not just going to buy anything"

Major sales from vendors included 500 mixed sex cattle sold by Emu Downs while 240 Emu Downs Angus heifers also was on offer at Mortlake.