Pakenham steers pass 390c/kg as heifers with calves hit $2800 at third-last sale

Pakenham agents yarded 1100 cattle at the Victorian Livestock Exchange on Thursday, with just two remaining fortnightly store sales before the facility closes its doors in late-June.

The buying gallery was made up mostly of feedlot and commission buyers, with the odd pen of cattle bought by restockers and backgrounders from West Gippsland.

Alex Scott & Staff Pakenham livestock manager David Setches labelled Pakenham's closure "premature" and said the Leongatha facility was struggling to operate with the influx of cattle weeks out from Pakenham's closure.

"I sent cattle down to Leongatha for Friday's sale on Tuesday because of the logistics which means the cattle are standing around and being fed... it seems ridiculous we have to have cattle there more than a day ahead of the sale," he said.

"I think the VLE should have got it right before they shut the door on Pakenham... this place could have still been in operation for another 18 months until the expansion was sorted at Leongatha.

"They (the VLE) have jumped the gun too early as has become apparent in recent days and weeks because they simply can't handle the numbers there."

VLE managing director Brian Paynter has previously said the company faced "significant change and challenges ahead" in the wake of Pakenham's imminent closure.

"To cope with the increased numbers the VLE has developed a masterplan for the Leongatha saleyards which includes a new four-bay truck wash, a 9000-square-metre lairage shed, undercover holding yards, covered sheep yards and new agent's offices and amenities," Mr Paynter said in early-May.

Elders Delaney Livestock & Property director Anthony Delaney, Pakenham, said prices were between $50-$100 cheaper compared to the last store sale a fortnight ago.

"Unfortunately, prices have continued to follow a trend at this saleyard we've seen since it was announced it would close in June," Mr Delaney said.

"The smaller yarding reflected in a smaller buying gallery with many of the cattle up to $100 a head cheaper on recent sales."

Feedlots including Thomas Foods International and Teys Charlton, and Melbourne-based commission purchaser Campbell Ross were among the major buyers of store cattle at Pakenham on Thursday, where the odd pen of cattle sold beyond 390 cents a kilogram.

The feature line of the sale was 116 mixed-sex cattle, eight to 10 months, consigned by Sackville Trust, Baringhup, which sold to a top price of $1210.

The steer line included a pen of 26 head, 326 kilograms, which made $1210 or 371c/kg, and 24 steers, 295kg, for $1110 or 372c/kg.

Both pens were knocked to a restocker on the Mornington Peninsula.

Meanwhile, Sackville Trust's heifer line included 22, 302kg, heifers which made $800 or 264c/kg to a breeder at Nar Nar Goon, and 23, 273kg, heifers, for $730 or 267c/kg to a backgrounder at Lang Lang.

Vincent and Catherine Noy, Willow Grove, sold 30 Angus, 488kg, steers, 17-18 months, for $1870 or 383c/kg to TFI.

The top-priced pen of the sale was a pen of nine first-calving Charolais heifers, pregnancy-tested-in-calf, with August and September 2023-drop calves at foot consigned by North Bank Charolais, Cardinia.

The pen was bought by regular Pakenham buyer Ron Goff, Yarragon, for $2800 a unit.

The sale started with two Angus, 593kg, steers offered by Coolart Park Pty Ltd, Somers, which made $1680 or 283c/kg and was bought by Mr Ross.

V Zappulla, Neerim Junction, sold eight Angus, 518kg, steers for $1450 or 279c/kg to Mr Ross.

K & P Dunstan, Tynong North, sold eight Angus and black baldy, 455kg, steers for $1420 or 313c/kg to TFI.

Lin & Yan, Tuerong, sold 12 Angus and black baldy, 541kg, steers for $1780 or 329c/kg.

K & M Harper, Main Ridge, sold 12 Angus, 538kg, steers for $1920 or 356c/kg.

D Wills, Flinders, sold 14 Angus, 481kg, steers for $1700 or 354c/kg to Teys Charlton.

T Groves sold seven Angus, 475kg, steers for $1600 or 336c/kg.

Denjaetm, Denison, sold 15, 394kg, steers for $1300 or 329c/kg to TFI.

DW Hasthorpe, Tanjil South, sold 15, 386kg, for $1230 or 318c/kg.

In the heifers, Neerim High Plains Pty Ltd, Neerim Junction, sold 11, 422kg, heifers for $1100 or 260c/kg to a feedlot at Balranald, NSW.

H Smith, Childers, sold six Angus, 287kg, heifers for $600 or 209c/kg.

Gundabah Station, Cape Schanck, sold 10, 350kg, heifers for $770 or 220c/kg, and 12, 334kg, heifers for $970 or 290c/kg.