Farmer Wants A Wife film descends on Leongatha store cattle sale

Agents yarded about 3000 cattle at the Victorian Livestock Exchange on Friday where several vendor-bred annual drafts attracted significant attention from buyers on the rails.

A film crew from TV show The Farmer Wants A Wife also drew the eyes of onlookers and filmed of a run of cattle consigned by the Kuch family of Darriman.

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The son of Darriman graziers Danny and Kim Kuch, Brenton Kuch, is one of the farmers taking part in season 13 of the Seven Network series and was spotted with several female contestants during the South Gippsland sale.

The Kuch family was one of the prominent vendors at the sale, consigning their annual draft of 134 Angus August/September-2021 drop steers, European Union-accredited and Landfall Angus blood.

Kim and Danny Kuch sold 17 steers, 578kg, for $2920 a head or 505 cents a kilogram, 20 steers, 545kg, for $2780 or 510c/kg, 20 steers, 538kg, for $2780 or 516c/kg, and 57 pens over three pens, 525-522kg, for $2620.

Six pens of the Kuch cattle were bought by JBS for its Yambinya Feedlot at Burraboi, NSW.

Brenton Kuch also sold two pens of steers, including a pen of nine, 527kg, for $2620 or 497c/kg, and 19 steers, 524kg, for $2640 or 503c/kg.

Nutrien South Gippsland Livestock manager Brian McCormack said prices were firm to dearer compared to the last sale a week ago.

"Naturally, our run of cattle today were made up of a couple of bigger consignments from the Kuch family along with Blackwood Grazing with 260 steers as well as Nalajule Nominees," Mr McCormack said.

"The line and the quality of these cattle were exceptional and sold to return buyers, being JBS as well as some local grass fatteners.

"The competition was mainly feedlot and local grass fatteners chasing cattle."

Agents said beef prices for feedlot-weight cattle rose by 15-20c/kg compared to the last weekly market, and were bolstered by more when bullock fatteners chased the same pens.

Meat & Livestock National Livestock Information Service reporter Brendan Fletcher said the sale was dearer, given the quality of the yarding, compared to other recent sales across eastern Victoria.

Among major local buyers was bullock fattener Milton Heywood, Sandy Point, who 64 steers between $2580-$2920.

Alan Coulter, Nalajule Nominees, Mardan, sold his annual drop of 88 Leawood Angus-blood steers, 12-15 months, including 22 steers, 486kg, for $2560 or 526c/kg, 27 steers, 454kg, for $2580 or 568c/kg, and 26 steers, 429kg, for $2480 or 578c/kg.

The Bayley family, Blackwood Grazing, Trafalgar, sold its annual draft 260 Angus steers, 16 months, including 19 steers, 500kg, for $2580 or 516c/kg, 19 steers, 491kg, for $2480 or 505c/kg, 17 steers, 504kg, for $2580 or 511c/kg, and 16 steers, 467kg, for $2280 or 489c/kg.

The dearest pen of Blackwood Grazing was the sixth pen knocked down and included 20 steers, 493kg, for $2640 or 535c/kg, followed by the dearest pen on a cents a kilogram basis with 21 steers, 466kg, sold for $2560 or 549c/kg.

Malcolm Davies, Greenwald Pastoral Co, Foster, sold 85 Angus steers, nine and 10 months, including 25 steers, 327kg, for $1700 or 519c/kg, 20 steers, 307kg, for $1810 or 589c/kg, and 20 steers, 307kg, for $1770 or 576c/kg.

The sale started with a dispersal of cattle traded by Anne Harrison, Giffard West, following the death of her husband, Stan, two years ago.

After 60 years of selling cattle, Mrs Harrison sold her last pens at the VLE on Friday, including four steers, 651kg, for $2750 or 422c/kg and 15 Hereford steers, 542kg, for $2600 or 479c/kg.

Elders Leongatha and Korumburra branch manager Rohan McRae

"I was pleasantly surprised with the outcome of the sale because I was expecting worse," he said.

"Cattle have had a cheapening trend but I think our sale halted that trend so I'd say the market was firm."

J & F Lloyd, Fish Creek, sold their property and dispersed their Hereford herd, including 20 steers, 520kg, for $2460 or 473c/kg, 20 steers, 504kg, for $2460 or 488c/kg, and 19 steers, 473kg, for $2380 or 503c/kg.

Fergus and Chris Cameron, Wild Dog, Ventnor, sold 14 Angus steers, 419kg, for $2200 or 525c/kg, 19 steers, 387kg, for $2000 or 516c/kg, 19 steers, 361kg, for $1980 or 548c/kg, and 19 steers, 360kg, for $1820 or 505c/kg.

The Camerons also sold 16 Angus heifers, 382kg, for $1900 or 497c/kg, and 23 Angus heifers, 343kg, for $1760 or 513c/kg.

George and Loraine Simmons, Woodside, sold 16 Hereford steers, 319kg, for $1790 or 561c/kg.

Katelea Pastoral, Glen Alvie, sold 17 Charolais/Angus-cross steers, 453kg, for $2290 or 505c/kg, and 12 Angus steers, 376kg, for $1950 or 518c/kg.

M Rowles, Flynn, sold 10 Charolais/Angus-cross steers, 556kg, for $2620 or 471c/kg and 15 steers, 527kg, for $2440 or 462c/kg.

The same vendor also sold 10 Angus heifers, 530kg, for $2420 or 456c/kg, and 10 Charolais/Angus-cross heifers, 494kg, for $2140 or 433c/kg.

S & E Richardson, Orbost, sold 15 Angus heifers, 400kg, for $1900 or 475c/kg, and 17 heifers, 373kg, for $1810 or 482c/kg.

P & J Sibly sold 14 steers, 385kg, for $2160 or 561c/kg, and 10 steers, 327kg, for $1980 or 605c/kg.

The same vendor also sold 15 heifers, 313kg, for $1640 or 523c/kg.

G & S Pastoral sold 15 steers, 380kg, for $2220 or 584c/kg, and 14 steers, 327kg, for $1980 or 605c/kg.

DF & TM Foat sold 14 steers, 354kg, for $2020, and 20 Angus heifers, 318kg, for $1640 or 515c/kg.

John and Elizabeth Keogh, Stony Creek, sold 12 springing Angus/Friesian-cross heifers for $2800.

S & L Campbell sold 20 Angus heifers, 356kg, for $1900 or 533c/kg.

S & H Mattern, Yarram, sold 18 Angus heifers, 366kg, for $1720 or 469c/kg.

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