Myrtleford heifers edge out steer prices at one annual weaner sale

Nutrien Ivone Agencies and Elders Myrtleford sold 3200 head of steers and heifers, over the two yardings on Friday.

At the Elders sale, heifer prices outstripped those for the steers, as agents said producers continued to rebuild their herds.

In the bigger of the two yardings, Nutrien's annual feature weaner sale, agents offered 1477 steers, for an average of $1370 per head, while the 827 heifers sold for an average of $1021/head.

The Nutrien sale was topped by J and B Fraser, Harrietville, who made $1640/head for their steers and $1725 for heifers.

Nutrien Ivone Agencies principal Dan Ivone, Myrtleford, said it would have been "every bit of $1000 back on last year.

"It's the drying conditions across the states, NSW, Victoria and SA a bit and the hold up with the abattoirs processing cattle," he said.

"The backgrounders can't trade."

Cattle went "everywhere", including to Shepparton agents, Rochester, the Mornington Peninsula, SA and southern SA".

"The actual locals were pretty quiet really, mainly because they haven't been able to sell their feeder steers".

Elders Myrtleford annual Blue Ribbon Breeder weaner sale auctioneer Stephen Street said agents sold all of the 900 steers and heifers on offer.

"On a tougher day, to get 100 per cent clearance was good, really," Mr Street said.

"There's nothing ever good about it at the current price - but that's beyond anybody's control".

He said prices would have been down $800 a head "across the board" on last year's sale.

Steers averaged $1118/head, while the heifers went for $1130/hd.

Mr Street said most of the cattle went to a local feedlot and backgrounders, within 100 kilometres of Myrtleford," he said.

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One surprise bidder underpinned the sale: Mr Street said he came from Rainbow in north-west Victoria.

"He bought a lot of the little cattle, he put a real floor in that," he said.

"It's really sheep country, but they are having a go".

A good run of Black Baldy heifers went to Pakenham, for a joining program.

"A lot of the heifers were bought by a Wangaratta grazier, and the Rainbow job bought the lighter end of the calves," he said.

"I saw that all week, even in the mountains - the better end of the heifers have outsold the steers".

Mr Street said breeders were looking for herd replacements for the outstanding lines of cattle in the mountains.

"The weights of the cattle were very little different to last year - they were right up, as wet as it's been and as tough as it's been, the genetics shone through," he said.

Read more: Experts examine what caused the downturn in prices at the 2023 Mountain Calf Sales

MP and S Antonello sold 19 Angus steers, 259kg, for $1190 or 459c/kg.

A and K Foster sold six Angus steers, 262kg, for $1240 or 473c/kg.

AL and H Walker sold 15 Charolais steers, 275kg, for $1160 or 421c/kg.

N and J Rooney sold seven steers, 475kg, for $1630 or 343c/kg.

J and B Fraser sold 20 Alpine-blood steers, 416kg, for $1640 or 394/kg.

D Hamilton sold 23 Alpine and Jarobee-blood steers, 393kg, for $1610 or 409c/kg.

Hamilton also sold 26 steers, 348kg, for $1520 or 436c/kg.

O'Connors View sold 20 Alpine-blood steers, 388kg, for $1550 or 399c/kg.

JC and J Gardner, Bobinawarrah, sold 18 Murramungee-blood steers, 395kg, for $1535 or 388c/kg.

Zanotto Family Trust, Myrtleford, sold 12 Alpine-blood steers, 375kg, for $1410 or 376c/kg.

Rob Muller, Buckland Valley, sold 23 Alpine Angus-blood Angus/Hereford-cross steers, 372kg, for $1555 or 418c/kg.

Muller also sold 23 steers, 357kg, for $1505, or 421c/kg and 25 steers, 279kg, for $1305 or 439c/kg.

Dalbosco Investments, Rosewhite, sold 16 Alpine Angus-blood Angus/Hereford-cross steers, 323kg, for $1260 or 390c/kg.

Masterton Brothers, Buffalo River, sold 19 Alpine Angus-blood steers, 408kg, for $1550 or 379c/kg.

They also sold 12 steers, 265kg, for $1375 or 518c/kg.

MJ and EB Roche, Whorouly, sold 14 Fernhill and Alpine-blood steers, 395kg, for $1400 or 354c/kg.

T and D Geddes, Mudgegonga, sold 21 Alpine and Stellar-blood steers, 6-7 months, for $1040.

AL and H Walker sold 15 Charolais steers, 275kg, for $1660 or 603c/kg.

JS and DL Hadley sold 10 Rennylea-blood steers, 257kg, for $1240 or 482c/kg.

RB and RM Lumsden sold 10 Rostulla-blood steers, 366kg, for $1130 or 308c/kg.

Vallunga, Buckland Valley, sold 22 Glendan Park-blood steers, 9-11 months, for $1400.

Rosewhite Estate sold 12 Alpine-blood Angus-cross heifers, 445kg, for $1480 or 332c/kg.

J and B Fraser sold 20 Alpine-blood heifers, 379kg, for $1725 or 455c/kg.

L Brine sold 23 Murramungee and Jade Park-blood heifers, 333kg, for $1170 or 351c/kg.

J and B Fraser sold 15 Angus heifers, 331kg, for $1260 or 380c/kg.

T and E Kirk sold 24 Angus heifers, 311kg, for $1110 or 357c/kg.

Rob Muller sold 23 Angus/Hereford-cross heifers, 308kg, for $1055 or 342c/kg.

S McIntosh sold nine Pinnacle Angus-blood heifers, 314kg, for $1080 or 344c/kg.

Walkabout Apiaries sold 16 Wirruna-blood heifers, 324kg, for $1020 or 315c/kg.

Masterton sold 11 Alpine Angus and Rosstulla-blood heifers for $750.

JJ Nolan sold six Alpine and Witherswood-blood steers, 465kg, for $1670 or 359c/kg.

They also sold 18 steers, 389kg, for $1500 or 385c/kg.

JE Pinter sold seven Table Top-blood steers,456kg, for $1630 or 357c/kg.

B & J Sabljo, Myrtleford, sold 10 Jarobee-blood steers, 378kg, for $1420 or 375c/kg.

AH Odewahn and sons sold 17 Rotherfield and Rosstulla-blood steers, 441kg, for $1640 or 372c/kg.

They also sold nine steers, 400kg, for $1480 or 370c/kg.

Selzer Farming, Ovens, sold 13 Witherswood Black Baldy steers, 263kg, for $1425 or 541c/kg.

WJ and MD Goldsworthy Eurobin, sold 11 Rosstulla and Ravensdale-blood steers, 418kg, for $1570 or 375c/kg.

Samantha Wellington sold seven Bayunga-blood Hereford steers, 336kg, for $1295 or 385c/kg.

P and E Howell sold 11 Jarobee-blood steers, 337kg, for $1305 or 387c/kg.

John E Silins, Glen Creek, sold 20 Witherswood-blood steers 277kg, for $1215 or 438c/kg.

Graeme Hoffman sold 18 Jarobee-blood steers, 302kg, for $1185 or 392c/kg.

G and J Chalwell, Bowmans Forest and Catherine Station sold 27 Alpine-blood steers for $1060.

They also sold 21 steers, 5-7 months old, for $1035.

Springdale Nominees, Greta, sold 12 Jarobee and Jade Park-blood steers, 218kg, for $1080 or 495c/kg.

M McKenzie sold eight Te Mania-blood heifers, 382kg for $1260 or 330c/kg.

Goldsworthy sold eight Witherswood & Jade Park-blood heifers, 358kg, for $1405 or 392c/kg.

Nolan sold 14 heifers, 350kg, for $1240 or 354c/kg.

John E Silins sold 20 Witherswood-blood heifers, 277kg, for $990 or 357c/kg.

Graeme Hoffman, Wombat Valley, Lucyvale, sold nine Jarobee-blood heifers, 282kg, for $990 or 357c/kg.

Kenneth Schlig, Osbornes Flat, sold 12 Jarobee-blood heifers, 237kg, for $805 or 339c/kg.