Feedlots stay away; prices drop sharply at Yea

A lack of feedlot competition saw prices ease significantly at the December Yea store sale, with agents saying heavier steers were hit hardest.

Agents yarded 1746 head of cattle.

Elders Yea livestock manager Jamie Quinlan said older yearling steers might have been $150-$250 a head cheaper than previous sales and autumn-drop weaners were firm.

Heifers might have been $300 cheaper for the heavier females.

He said there were a lot of cattle on the market at the moment, causing a bottleneck in processing.

"You have a good couple of weeks' wait to get any cattle killed, feedlots are up to months out, not even offering prices, and there are a lot of paddocks that have been decimated by water," he said.

Hopkins River was the only feedlot in operation, although commission buyers Duncan Brown, Albury, NSW, and Campbell Ross, Melbourne, soaked up around half of the consignment for their clients.

"There was probably a handful of pens of steers that were 500 kilograms and higher - they made between 430-460 cents a kilogram for the blacks and 390-420c/kg for the colours," he said.

"The 350-450kg black steers were significantly cheaper - they made between 430-480c/kg."

Coloured cattle made between 420-460c/kg, with the short run of autumn-drop weaners selling firm.

"On the whole, to put it truthfully, there wasn't a hell of a lot of outside buying support," he said.

He said it was rare to see the amount of feed, and a falling market.

"Usually where there is feed, there is a farmer wanting to put cattle on," he said.

Delaney Livestock and Property auctioneer Anthony Delaney said he thought the weaners made similar rates to the previous sale at Yea.

"It was tough going on the heavier end of the steers - JBS were present, but weren't active," Mr Delaney said.

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Meson Quark sold 27 Angus steers, 571kg, for $2680, or 469c/kg.

Scott Williamson sold 15 Charolais-cross steers, 597kg, for $2570 or 431c/kg.

D Stray sold 11 steers, 235kg, for $1370 or 582c/kg.

S Barbic sold 13 Angus steers, 347kg, for $1930 or 556c/kg.

TP and MC Hoban sold 21 Angus-cross steers, 410kg, for $1820 or 443c/kg.

Peter Ingham sold 18 Angus steers, 408kg, for $2120 or 519c/kg.

Kaloomah Pastoral sold nine steers, 297kg, for $1710 or 575c/kg.

KP Ryan sold 18 steers, 333kg, for $1800 or 542c/kg.

I Sandilands sold eight Charolais-cross steers, 337kg, for $1530 or 453c/kg.

Esse Rural Enterprises sold 11 Angus heifers, 412kg, for $1800 or 437c/kg.

RW and HM Hanson sold 17 Black Baldy heifers, 378kg, for $1740 or 460c/kg.

L and J Nutbean sold nine heifers, 358kg, for $1590 or 445c/kg.

Webster Primary Production sold 13 Hereford heifers, 318kg, for $1530 or 482c/kg.

Callandoon sold 25 Angus heifers, 315kg, for $1840 or 584c/kg.