Tough going on Leongatha's secondary cattle but quality sells well

There were four feedlots and Melbourne commission buyer Campbell Ross active at the sale, with several agents saying they put a "floor" in the market.

Hopkins River, Charlton, J&F and Thomas Foods International were joined by local agents, Wellington Livestock, Sale, South Gippsland Livestock, Leongatha, and Baw Baw Livestock, Warragul, buying for restockers and grass fatteners.

Westside, Bacchus Marsh also bought cattle.

The sale followed the trend at Pakenham, the previous day, with a greater level of feedlot support.

Agents yarded about 3800 head of cattle, with stock starting to come out of east Gippsland, due to early calving and drier conditions.

Phelan & Henderson auctioneer Simon Henderson said there were more buyers in the crowd, than at previous sales.

"There was a very large crowd," Mr Henderson said.

"There was some more interest shown from grass fatteners, than had been shown in previous sales - where people had just been standing around looking.

"Some of the better-bred cattle might have made a few cents more than the previous sale.

"We had steers in the mid-500kg that made $1910, or 345c/kg, and went back into the paddock - we had another pen that weighed 440kg and they made 357c/kg."

It was good to see more activity from the "feed-on' sector, which was "a positive sign," he said.

One pen of Angus weaners weighing 360kg made $1380 or 383c/kg, with another 21, weighing 347kg, which sold for $150 or 389c/kg.

"That's good money for heavy, weaned calves when we had some of the feed-on steers, weighing 404kg, which made $1350 or 334c/kg," he said.

"The weaner cattle, if they were good quality, were making 30-40c/kg more than the yearlings.

"We are looking good at the moment, the grass is starting to grow as the days stretch out.

"It's still quite wet, and we were concerned about how the sale would go but were pleasantly surprised with the outcome."

Elders auctioneer, Damien Minogue, Leongatha, said he felt the market was "a whisker cheaper" with secondary and lighter cattle "tough going."

"There were a fair few cattle from east Gippsland, it's staying dry up there and they are keen to sell a few," Mr Minogue said.

"Even though our season is going really well, it's still the middle of August and a whisker early for a lot of people.

"You have also got locals, dairy farmers, keen to offload and lock paddocks up for silage - there was a big contingent of Friesians and cross-breds there for that reason."

Heavier cattle sold from 270-300 cents a kilogram.

"As you got a little bit lighter, most of the cattle were 280/370c/kg, with some of the lighter weaners up to 360-380c/kg," he said.

Any change in prices would depend on the weather "as always," he said.

"If we can get a good general rain, everywhere, it might just slow the ship up, but at the moment it just seems to be steady as it goes."

Nutrien South Gippsland Livestock auctioneer Brian McCormack, Leongatha, said the market stayed at the same steady level it had shown for the past few months.

"It depends on quality, numbers, who are there, whether they fill up - all those sorts of things," he said.

"The better cattle are probably just holding their own, as soon as you come off the top end, the plainer cattle are cheaper again."

Friesians saw a further drop in price.

"The plainer end cattle are where the job is tough."

Nutrien had a "very good run of cattle" with larger lines coming from Traralgon and Sale.

"They normally start a bit early, the east Gippsland cattle are a month in front of us," he said.

"They calve earlier than us so they have the next crop coming along underneath them so it's time for the cattle to go."

Conditions in south Gippsland were still quite good but it was apparently getting very dry, very quickly, east of Rosedale, he said.

SEJ Leongatha livestock agent Neil Park said feedlots put a floor in the market.

"The better, well-bred cattle held their own, there was a fair bit of feeder competition and also a bit of restocking interest," Mr Park said.

"Well-bred cattle were fully firm, but all other forms of cross-breds and Friesians were restricted by limited competition - and there was a lot of there."

Cattle were starting to come out of the country, around Bega, NSW, due to dry conditions.

M Taylor sold five Charolais-cross steers, 618kg, for $1670 or 270c/kg and 12 Charolais-cross steers, 364kg, for $1160 or 318c/kg.

O Herman sold 13 Charolais-cross steers, 503kg, for $1500 or 298c/kg.

Baillie Brothers, Tyers, sold 24 Angus steers, 645kg, for $1950 or 302c/kg; 22 steers, 608kg, for $1920 or 315kg, 18 steers, 604kg, for $1900 or 316c/kg and 19 steers, 553kg, for $1860 or 336c/kg.

NW Page, Sale, sold 17 Angus steers, 594kg, for $1880 or 316c/kg and 16 steers, 563kg, for $1800 or 319c/kg.

G Clark sold 14 Angus steers, 593kg, for $1910 or 322c/kg.

R Kuch, Perry Bridge, sold 12 Angus steers, 561kg for $1840 or 328c/kg.

Peacock Rural, Halston, sold 22 Angus steers, 516kg, for $1800 or 348c/kg and 22 steers, 498kg, for $1770 or 343c/kg.

Melaleuca Pastoral Ruby, sold 18 steers, 514kg, for $1700 or 330c/kg.

HW and BJ Dunbar, Traralgon, sold 16 Angus steers, 480kg, for $1670 or 348c/kg and 19 steers, 439kg, for $1550 or 353c/kg.

N and R Lee, Loyola, Stratford, sold 24 Innesdale and Pinora-blood steers, 440kg, for $1540 or 350c/kg.

M Lawless, Driffield, sold 13 Latrobe Park-blood steers, 475kg, for $1630 or 343c/kg.

B and S Harris sold 17 Angus steers, 436kg, for $1500 or 357c/kg.

Von Pace, Giffard, sold 24 Angus steers, 398kg, for $1470 or 369c/kg; 27 steers, 368kg, for $1360 or 369c/kg and 21 steers, 348kg, for $1260 or 362c/kg.

B and S Bates, Bundalaguah, sold 21 Millah Murrah-blood steers, 404kg, for $1450 or 359c/kg.

DK and HC Campbell sold 18 Innesdale-blood steers, 327kg, for $1150 or 351c/kg.

SJ Conway, Trafalgar, sold 17 Latrobe Park-blood steers, 351kg, for $1200 or 341c/kg.

N Belcher sold 20 Angus steers, 378kg, for $1400 or 370c/kg.

G Belcher sold 18 Black Baldy Banquet-blood steers, 411kg, for $1420 or 345c/kg.

Belcher also sold 18 Hereford steers, 429kg, for $1320 or 307c/kg and 15, 397kg, for $1310 or 329c/kg.

Gem-Brae sold 10 Te Mania-blood steers, 467kg, for $1640 or 351c/kg and 14 steers, 410kg, for $1400 or 343c/kg.

C and S Vagg, Leongatha South, sold 10 Angus steers, 330kg, for $1050, or 318c/kg

Annsfield sold 20 Angus steers, 348kg, for $1300, or 373c/kg; 20 steers, 343kg, for $1280 or 373c/kg; 24 steers, 319kg, for $1050 or 329c/kg and 24 steers, 316kg, for $1090 or 350c/kg.

Narrang, Stratford, sold 21 Angus steers, 293kg, for $1080 or 368c/kg.

Klinlingal sold 14 Hereford steers, 398kg, for $1380 or 346c/kg.

MG Harrison, Meeniyan, sold 21 Innesdale-blood Black Baldy steers, 315kg, for $1030 or 326c/kg.

M and N Bracecamp, Mardan, sold 15 Pinora-blood steers, 408kg, for $1410 or 345c/kg.

DE and M Lee sold 17 Angus heifers, 400kg, for $1150 or 287c/kg.

B and S Bates sold 17 Angus heifers, 378kg, for $1080 or 285c/kg.

PG Bourke sold 12 Angus heifers, 351kg, for $1000 or 284c/kg.

AW O'Mara sold 16 Angus heifers, 344kg, for $1100 or 319c/kg.

Hazelview sold 13 Black Baldy heifers, 307kg, for $730 or 237c/kg,

Belcher sold five Hereford heifers, 376kg, for $925 or 246c/kg and 11 Angus and Angus-cross heifers, 390kg, for $1300 or 333c/kg.

Gem Brae sold 17 Angus heifers, 353kg, for $920 or 260c/kg.

S and V Missen sold 21 by 21 Angus cows and calves for $2140.