Prices at the first Mount Gambier Combined Agents store sale of 2024 remained pretty much on par with the final market of 2023.
While both coloured steers and heifers were fractionally cheaper, compared with the previous month, Angus steer prices remained steady, possibly buoyed by an air of optimism from news of substantial rains in the north.
Significant local falls in the lower and mid South East regions in the past couple of months rejuvenated pastures and produced a flush of feed, resulting in some premium quality cattle going through the yard on Friday.
Angus steers 450 kilograms-plus sold from $2.42/kg to $2.83/kg, mostly fetching prices upwards of $2.55/kg; heavy coloured steers in the same range made from $2.11 to $2.43/k.
Angus steers 360-450kg made up the bulk of the yarding, selling from $2.37-$3.37/kg, consistently making north of $2.90/kg; and coloured steers 360-450kg were slightly cheaper, making $2.15-$2.91/kg.
Medium weight Angus steers 320-360kg sold from as low as $2.70 but mainly from the high $2.90 to a top of $3.28/kg; while coloured steers in the same weight range made from $2.19-3.03/kg.
Angus steers 280-320kg made from $2.38-$3.30/kg and coloured steers of the same weights ranged from $2.20-$2.72/kg.
Lighter Angus steers under 280kg made from $2.47-$3.31/kg, with coloured steers of the same weight, selling from $2.18-$2.40/kg.
Andrew Whan, Miller, Whan & John, said there was a good field of local buyers active, with the results of the "strong sale" good for both buyers and vendors.
Milroy Pastoral, Mingbool, made the top dollars a head price with a draft of 12, 580kg Pasturefed Cattle Assurance Scheme-eligible Angus steers bought by Hopkins River at $1530 or $2.64/kg.
Hopkins River also bought a draft of Milroy Pastoral's Angus-cross steers, av 521kg, paying $1350 or $2.59/kg; 20, 467kg August/September 2022-drop Dollar Angus-blood steers at $1300 or $2.78/kg, sold a/c Boot Hill, Casterton, Vic; and 18 PCAS August/September 2022-drop Dollar Angus blds, sold a/c Matthews.
M&K Judd, Tarpeena, sold 14, 459kg, 10-month-old to 11mo PCAS Boonaroo-bld Angus at $1300 or $2.83/kg to Thomas Foods International.
M&G Swaffer, Mount Schank, sold 17, 413kg PCAS Boonaroo and Granite Ridge-bld Angus at $1300 or $3.15/kg to Creek Livestock while a lighter draft, av 392kg, at $1250 or $3.19/kg, sold to O'Connor & Graney.
Creek Livestock bought 14, 306kg PCAS February/March-drop Boonaroo-blds at $1010 or $3.30/kg, along with a lighter draft of five, 263kg steers at $690kg or $2.62/kg, sold a/c Drumden Pastoral, Drumborg, Vic.
Alvadale, Mount Gambier, sold 12, 287kg, 7-9mo PCAS Black Rock-bld Angus at $920 or $3.21/kg, along with a lighter draft, av 260kg, at $860 or $3.31/kg - both drafts selling to Green Triangle Livestock.
Princess Royal bought eight, 410kg, 8-10mo PCAS Angus steers at $1210 or $2.95/kg, sold a/c GI&BJ Douglas, Mil Lel, who also had a lighter draft, av 303kg, sold to Green Triangle Livestock at $1000 or $3.30/kg.
Wandoon Pastoral, Kongorong, sold 23, 324kg Angus-cross steers at $960 or $2.96/kg to Elders Naracoorte, with a lighter draft, av 289kg, going to Miller Whan & John at $950 or $3.29/kg.
Ten, 16-18mo PCAS Speckle Park steers sold a/c RB Spehr, Allendale East, at $1270 or $2.11/kg to McKeon McGregor, Bendigo, Vic.
Shiloh Park, Mount Gambier, sold 12, 552kg 14mo PCAS Hereford steers to Nampara Pastoral Co at $1340 or $2.43/kg.
Inva Loch Pastoral Co, Strathdownie, Vic, sold 70 PCAS April/May-drop Allendale and Days Whiteface-bld Hereford steers, 296-351kg, for an average of $915. Nutrien Mount Gambier paid to a top of $1080 or $3.08/kg for a draft of the Inva Loch steers with an average weight of 351kg.
Elders Mount Gambier bought 21, 356kg PCAS April/May-drop Morganvale-bld Hereford steers at $1080 or $3.03/kg, sold a/c BR Kuhl, Kongorong.
A strong presence by McKeon McGregor kept the floor in the heifer prices - particularly in the blacks - which were a fraction off the money from the December market.
Heavy heifers 360-450kg sold from as low as $2.01/kg but mainly in the $2.30/kg to $2.57/kg range. The 320-360kg heifers made from $1.73-$2.53/kg; lighter weight heifers 280-320kg sold from a low of $1.84-2.52/kg. Heifers under 280kg made $1.75-$2.42/kg.
Roseneath, Millicent, sold eight, 451kg PCAS 2022-drop Angus heifers to make the top dollars-a-head heifer price at $980 or $2.36/kg to Creek Livestock.
Bandoona Trading, Kalangadoo, sold 10, 386kg, 10-11mo PCAS Woonallee-bld Simmental-Angus heifers 10-11 at $950 or $2.46/kg, selling to Elders a/c Nampara.
Also selling to Nampara were a draft of 18, 373kg PCAS Nampara-bld Angus heifers, sold a/c Dalgleish Pastoral Co, Kalangadoo, which made Friday's top cents-a-kilo heifer price at $2.57/kg or $960.
Mount Muirhead, Millicent, sold 16, 364kg PCAS Angus-crosses at $920 or $2.53/kg to Elders Mount Gambier, with a lighter draft of 15, av 348kg, sold to McKeon McGregor at $880 or $2.53/kg.
McKeon McGregor also bought 16, 336kg PCAS April-drop Angus and Angus-cross heifers at $840 or $2.50/kg, sold a/c FR&HR Gysbers, Millicent.
Holmes Livestock, Mumbannar, Vic, sold 31, 309kg PCAS Boonaroo, Nampara and Stoney Point-bld Angus heifers at $780 or $2.52/kg to Miller Whan & John, a/c Lindsay.
A further nine, 278kg Holmes Livestock heifers sold to Green Triangle Livestock at $630 or $2.27/kg.
While there is a generally positive outlook going forward, the potential for hot weather in the next month or two might introduce a shadow of uncertainty, says Jeff Olafson, Nutrien Mount Gambier.
Agents anticipate a decrease in numbers following the February store sale, which is traditionally characterised by a large turnout of local livestock.
