Light-weight Angus steers have soared past 400 cents a kilogram at Yea's first monthly store sale for 2024 as two volume buyers locked horns on the rails.
Agents yarded 2000 cattle for the February store sale where 65 per cent of the steers and heifers sold were bought by two commission buyers in Victoria and NSW.
Prominent store cattle buyers Duncan Brown, Albury, NSW, and Melbourne-based Campbell Ross bought about 1300 steers and heifers across the two-hour market.
Mr Brown bought 900 steers and heifers for a dozen clients in NSW and Queensland, including one feedlotter and several backgrounders.
Meanwhile, Mr Ross bought about 400 mixed-sex cattle for four clients, including 130 heifers.
Gippsland agents were also active at the rail, with Michael Foote and Josh Chiavaroli, Elders Leongatha and Korumburra, purchasing more than 110 cattle between the pair.
Thirty of the steers purchased by Mr Foote were for Poowong bullock fattener Jim Watson, while Mr Chiavaroli bought 33 steers and 20 heifers for bullock fattener and breeder Peter Kyle, Bena.
Pakenham-based processor G & K C'Connor attended the saleyard and purchased 80 Angus steers, while JBS/J & F Feedlot competed for feeder-weight cattle.
Elders Yea livestock manager Jamie Quinlan said it was the second time O'Connors had attended a Yea sale.
"O'Connors came to our weaner sale probably three weeks ago and bought another load of feeder cattle for themselves today," he said.
"I suppose with the impending closure of Pakenham, they are branching out to find the feeder cattle they usually buy from the Yarra Valley."
Mr Quinlan said prices across the sale were firm compared to other recent store cattle sales in Victoria.
"The sale featured a good run of yearling steers and heifers, 14-18 months, that have sold very well and ranged 340-360c/kg at the top end," he said.
"The middle run of black steers were firm, 350-360c/kg for cattle weighing 340-360kg, and the pretty pens of 280-340kg steers sold very well, but there were a lot of clean-up cattle in that range so prices fluctuated."
The sale started with a run of cows with calves at foot, including account Tacona which sold three Anvil Angus cows with calves at foot, redepastured to Leawood bulls, for $1850 to a breeder at Homewood via Nutrien Yea.
Dysart Angus sold 13 Angus cows, four to six years, with September and October 2023-drop calves at foot for $1950 to Mr Brown.
Falcon Vale sold 10 Hereford/Shorthorn-cross cows with calves at foot for $1700 to Mr Ross.
JJ & SE Madin sold 12 Glendaloch-blood Angus cows, 2017 and 2018-drop, pregnancy-tested-in-calf to a Glendaloch bull to calve in March and April for $1800 to Mr Brown.
DV Taylor, Strathbogie, sold six cows, PTIC to Riddlevue Angus bulls, 2.5 years, for $1900 to Mr Ross and three cows with calves at foot for $1600 to Mr Brown.
At the lighter end of the sale, Spring Valley Rural, Flowerdale, sold 19 Angus steers, 303kg, Kelly Angus-blood, for $1250 or 412c/kg to Mr Brown, and 15 heifers, 286kg, for $900 or 314c/kg.
Ian Brewster, Maindample, sold 12 Angus steers, 280kg, for $1180 or 421c/kg to Mr Brown.
Account Bekpiriver, Alexandra, sold 18 Angus steers, 267kg, for $1150 or 430c/kg to Mr Brown.
Nutrien Yea livestock manager Chris Pollard said the prices in the store market reflected a similar upwards trend in prime sale results.
"Prices could have been a whisker better than what we were expecting, but this is one of the first genuine store sales with 500 cattle that were all 400-450kg or heavier," he said.
The sale started with seven Angus steers, 760kg, which made $2120 a head or 278c/kg and was bought by Mr Ross.
Mr Ross also bought 13 Angus steers, Kelly Angus-blood, consigned by Mark Davies, 586kg, for $2000 or 341c/kg.
T Rainey, Pyalong, sold four Angus steers, October and November 2022-drop, Waldara-blood, 556kg, for $1950 or 344c/kg to Mr Ross.
The Estate of H Miller, Trawool, sold nine Angus steers, two years, 631kg, for $$2000 or 316c/kg to Mr Ross.
G Rainey sold four Angus steers, 14-15 months, Merridale-blood, 449kg, for $1650 or 367c/kg to Mr Brown.
TP Sexton sold 18 Black Baldy steers, 579kg, for $1860 or 321c/kg to Mr Watson, Poowong.
Boundary Park, Donnybrook, sold 102 Angus steers including 38, 555kg, for $1970 or 354c/kg and 16 steers, 506kg, for $1870 or 369c/kg.
Both pens were bougt by G & K O'Connor.
Cav Ag, Alexandra, sold 23 Angus steers, 442kg, for $1590 or 359c/kg to Elders Yea.
I & S Wright, Rivernook Herefords, Homewood, sold eight Hereford steers, 16 months, 506kg, for $1760 or 347c/kg and 13 steers, 450kg, for $1640 or 364c/kg to Mr Foote.
S Williamson sold 19 Charolais/Hereford-cross steers, 453kg, for $1520 or 355c/kg to Mr Brown, and seven steers, 402kg, for $1320 or 328c/kg to Mr Ross.
H Gilmore & Sons sold 22 Charolais/Hereford-cross steers, 401kg, for $1350 or 336c/kg to Mr Ross.
Kaldera Holdings sold 14 Angus steers, 14-15 months, 462kg, for $1670 or 361c/kg.
Bungle Boori sold 15 Angus steers, Connmara-blood, 16 months, 377kg, for $1460 and 16 steers, 378kg, for $1460 or 387c/kg to Mr Brown.
Colvin Family Trust sold 18 Shorthorn steers, Eloora-blood, 426kg, for $1520 or 356c/kg and 19 heifers, 367kg, for $1170 or 318c/kg.
In the heifers, J & P Prouget sold 14 Angus, Connmara-blood, 444kg, for $1340 or 301c/kg to J & F Feedlot.
Campsie Glen sold eight Angus heifers, 458kg, for $1350 or 294c/kg to Mr Ross and 12 heifers, 347kg, for $1010 or 291c/kg to Mr Brown.
Kaloomah Pastoral, Gobur, sold 19 Angus heifers, August and September 2022-drop, 420kg, for $1320 or 314c/kg.
Whanregarwen Pastoral, Yea, sold 20 Angus heifers, Kelly Angus-blood, 423kg, for $1390 or 328c/kg to Mr Kyle, and 21 heifers, 373kg, for $1050.