Lively competition has continued at Victorian markets, with Friday's Ballarat monthly store sale yarding quality weaner steers and heifers, and invigorating healthy bidding from the galleries.
Agents yarded about 3300 cattle, up from the advertised 2500, which consisted a number of featured local lines, including Woodlands Romsey, who themselves sold 110 Angus cattle in total.
This included a pen of 26 Angus steers, 362kg, sold for 447 cents a kilogram or $1620 a head.
E & A Stephens & Sons also yarded over 70 cattle for the day, and had good pens of heavier cattle, with one pen of 15 Angus weaner steers, 470kg, sold for 421c/kg or $1980.
TB White & Sons stock agent Tom Madden said there was very good quality on offer from both the steer and heifer jobs.
"It sold to a stronger rate which we've seen over the last month around the state and the country," he said.
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"Best of the top end feeder weighted calves will were around four bucks on either side and then once you got back in your weights, good black calves made anywhere from 430-460c/kg.
"We probably didn't see much of a rise in in the coloured cattle and the off-bred cattle but all in all sold pretty well," he said.
There were fewer cattle over 500kg than seen at other recent store sales in the state, but those steer cattle which were present averaged 375c/kg.
Lighter cattle under 500kg were prominent, with cattle between 400-500kg averaging 406c/kg, while those weighing between 330kg-400kg were in high demand, average 420c/kg.
Mr Madden said there were "good strong orders" on the better vendor bred lines of steers between 280-330kg, which averaged 415c/kg with a top of 521c/kg.
Heifer pens also were up 20-40c/kg in relation to last month's store sale, and some pens between 330-400kg did as well as their brothers, hitting a high of 450c/kg.
Fellow TB White & Sons agent Lachie Shaw said cows and calves "did better than last month with the best pen heading out to $2840."
That part of the sale was underpinned by a final dispersal of 45 cows and calves at foot from Skipton vendors Daryl and Trish Haywood.
Mr Shaw said an early autumn break did have some influence on the dearer prices at the as well and drove a large amount of feedlot and commission buyers in the galleries, which was on trend with recent store sales in Pakenham, Leongatha and Mortlake.
"The early rain has given confidence to local buyers on the cattle job, and we are finding there has been much interest in heifers who will be going on out into breeding operations," he said.
Much of the drive in larger yardings and prices were also influenced from producers finally selling cattle which were held back in early 2023.
More to come...
