Leongatha's first store cattle sale for the year has been supercharged by the rain and growing confidence throughout the region and into NSW.
Agents yarded 2626 head of steers, heifers, cows and calves.
They said prices for some lines climbed by as much as 100 cents a kilogram, compared with the last sale of 2023.
Nutrien Leongatha auctioneer Brian McCormack said the market had risen "a fair bit" from a month ago, following on from the mid-week prime sale.
The bullock trade set a floor in the store market and set the trend for the store sale, he said.
It also reflected the weaner sales, which were getting stronger, as they went through the state.
''Our little area down here, as much as many other places, is very, very green so people are looking to purchase cattle now and utilise that feed that's there," he said.
That was echoed by Russell Kimber, Buln Buln, who bought steers, which he said "would grow into something decent.
"Prices are up a bit, but we need something to eat the feed," he said.
The 550-600 kilogram steers would have been 30c/kg dearer on a month ago, Mr McCormack said.
"The Bimbadeen steers, about 586kg, made 317c/kg, $1860 and they would only be young steers, then your 500-550kg cattle were up by 20c/kg," he said.
"As you got down a little bit, your feeder cattle, 400-500kg, were still dearer, but probably 10-15c/kg, for the cattle we had there.
"It was the same with the calves we had, they were quite handy - the 300-400kg cattle would be 10-15c/kg dearer, as well," he said.
Cattle were holding their weight "pretty well" at the moment, and sellers benefitted from a lift in the market, with better weight.
With no store market later this month, due to the Australia Day holiday, it may have been "time to buy", Mr McCormack said.
SEJ Leongatha auctioneer James Kyle said there was a "massive jump" in prices from last year's final sale.
"It was 100 cents a kilogram better than what they were making, in mid-December, here," he said.
'"Obviously contributing to that is the rain event that's happened throughout the country.".
Good prices also came on the back of recent weaner sales - "our sale typically follows where the market has been going for the last four or five days," he said.
"Probably from a local perspective, getting two inches (44 millimetres) of rain on Saturday and Sunday has just absolutely bolstered peoples' feed wedge and given them the confidence to say they will stay green here for another month, before it dries off," he said.
"We had some northern orders, there were some cattle going well into northern NSW."
Feedlot buyers include Teys Brothers, Jindalee, Springdale, NSW and Bunnaloo, NSW, while Westside Meats was strong on the heifers, Mr McCormack said.
"Allied was buying backgrounding steers, so there was a bit more competition in that section, those guys were going head to head with the grass fatteners," he said.
DR Hall, Fish Creek, sold 19 Te Mania-blood steers, 455kg, for $1570 or 345c/kg.
Tarwin Ridge, Tarwin Lower, sold 11 Tarwin and Wilkah-blood steers, 348kg, for $1300 or 326c/kg and seven steers, 286kg, for $1050 or 367c/kg..
P and C Webb, Arawatta, sold 22 Dunoon-blood steers, 412kg, for $1340 of 325c/kg and 20, 321kg, for $1150 or 358c/kg.
Katelea Pastoral, Glen Alvie, offered a draft of 98 Rennylee and Banquet-blood steers.
Their first pen of 20, 387kg, sold for $1310, or 338c/kg; their seconds 20 steers, 378kg, sold for $1270 or 335c/kg while a third pen of 18, 344kg, sold for $1170 or 340c/kg.
P O'Dwyer, Foster, sold 17 steers, 357kg, for $1200 or 336c/kg and 11, 288kg, for $1150 or 399c/kg.
K and L Heggan, Binginwarri, sold 21 Hicks Beef-blood steers, 413kg, for $1450 or 351c/kg.
R Slade, Archies Creek, sold 18 steers, 388kg, for $1410 or 363c/kg.
N and G Stollery, Moolabulla, sold 14 steers, 363kg, for $1450 or 399c/kg.
Belgrano sold 22 Banquet and Fernleigh-blood steers, 370kg, for $1460 or 394c/kg.
G-S Pastoral sold 12 Moorunga & Merlewood-blood steers, 319kg, for $1100 or 344c/kg and 15, 288kg, for $1140 or 395c/kg.
Bimbadeen Angus, Phillip Island, sold 22 Angus steers, 586kg, for $1860 or 317c/kg and 24, 514kg, for $1780 or 346c/kg.
Lester Farms, Mardan, sold 17 steers, 545kg, for $1770 or 324c/kg.
Melaleuca Pastoral, Dumbalk, sold 14 steers, 507kg, for $1640 or 323c/kg.
EN Anderson, Rosedale, sold 18 steers, 371kg, for $1330 or 358c/kg.
Julander, Glen Alvie, sold 18 steers, 305kg, for $1160 or 380c/kg and 12 heifers, 261kg, for $860 or 329c/kg.
Southerly Farms, Lang Lang, sold 11 heifers, 373kg, for $1000 or 268c/kg.
Ajay Partners, Leongatha sold 15 heifers, 329kg, for $950 or 288c/kg.
Russell sold 20 heifers, 380kg, for $1040 or 273c/kg.
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Andrew Miller
I'm a general reporter with Stock & Land, with a special interest in irrigation issues. I completed my cadetship, with the Age, in 1980. Over my career, I've worked for ABC radio news (Mt Isa, Qld) and at provincial and suburban newspapers.
I'm a general reporter with Stock & Land, with a special interest in irrigation issues. I completed my cadetship, with the Age, in 1980. Over my career, I've worked for ABC radio news (Mt Isa, Qld) and at provincial and suburban newspapers.
