Mortlake cattle nudge 400c/kg, buyers from three states descend on first winter sale

Agents yarded 3679 cattle at the Western Victoria Livestock Exchange on Thursday, in a market dominated by several feedlotters.

Agents said a short supply of feedlot-suited cattle contributed to the jump in prices, while steers - both beef and cross-bred weighing more than 300 kilograms - attracted a 10-15 cents a kilogram price rise.

Elders Mortlake livestock manager David Patterson said the sale was supported by a broad range of purchasers, including commission buyers, feedlotters, and agents from Gippsland and south-east South Australia.

"We ended up yarding just over 4000 cattle which is rather large for our first sale of the month," he said.

"This is a sale where we have all categories of stock; your dairy-bred, cross-bred cattle, cows and calves and pregnancy-tested-in-calf cows and heifers."

Mr Patterson said cattle which weighed more than 300kg, regardless of being dairy or beef-bred, rallied by 10-15c/kg.

"It was one of our better sales with our cows and calves too, with most of those cattle going into the north where there is a lot of grass at the moment," he said.

"Our season is still really ordinary down here in western Victoria, but it's not as bad as other parts of Australia.

"I thought the heavy end of the Angus/Friesian-crossbred steers was a real highlight of the sale because there was a lot of those cattle with weight, and ultimately they were chased by feedlots."

Southern Grampians Livestock Mortlake manager Glenn Judd said the sale featured 50 pens of grown steers which sold to a top price of 403c/kg for cattle weighing 400kg.

"A lot of the other Angus steers made in that 400-450kg bracket made from 370-390c/kg," he said.

"If steers were 450-500kg, they made 360-370c/kg, while big coloured steers like Herefords, Simmentals and Shorthorns ranged from 285-314c/kg.

"It was a very strong sale considering we don't usually have many big or handy lines of cattle in the first sale of the month."

Mr Judd said Angus weaner steers made from 285-340c/kg for cattle ranging 270-320kg.

He said grown Angus heifers sold to a top price 330c/kg, with most making 285-330c/kg, while weaner heifers 240-300c/kg.

The sale featured 249 grown heifers which sold to a top price of 332c/kg or $1586 to average 287c/kg or $1086, while 635 grown steers sold to 393c/kg or $2081 to average 287c/kg or $1247.

Renver Primary Produce sold the top pen of 13 grown Angus, 419kg, heifers for 332c/kg or $1393 to J & F Feedlot.

Coolana Rural Pty Ltd sold the dearest grown heifer pen on a price per head basis with 16 grown Angus-cross, 480kg, heifers knocked down for 330c/kg or $1586 to Northern Victoria Livestock.

MJ & RF Patterson, Drysdale, Purnim, sold the top pen of 50 grown Angus, 400kg, steers for 393c/kg or $1573.

On a price per head basis, account Prestonholme sold the top pen of 27 grown Angus, 608kg, steers for 342c/kg or $2081.

The market also featured 484 weaner heifers which sold to a top price of 310c/kg or $1085, while 561 weaner steers sold to 374c/kg or $1557 to average 308c/kg or $794.

Benara Pastoral Pty sold the top of 22 Angus-cross weaner, 350kg, heifers for 310 or $1085.

JV & CR Gannon sold the top pen of seven Angus weaner, 285kg, steers for 374c/kg or $1065 to SEJ Leongatha.

Kingoonya sold one Angus weaner, 445kg, steer for 350c/kg or $1557.

Pregnancy-tested-in-calf heifers averaged $922 and sold to $1300, while 208 cow and calf units averaged $1369 a unit, fetching a top price of $1800.

Tipperary Holsteins sold six PTIC Angus-cross heifers for $1300.

While R & PI JOhnston sold 10 Angus cows with calves at foot for $1800.

Nutrien livestock auctioneer Greg Bright, Warrnambool, who sold cattle at Mortlake, said in many cases, heavier cattle made more on a cents a kilogram basis compared to lighter cattle.

"There's a lack of cattle with weight suitable for feedlot buyers at the moment, and with no feed since the weaner sales, there's not a lot of cattle in that range and that's pushing prices up," he said.

"Teys, Midfield Group, Creek Livestock and Hopkins River were very strong on the feedlot steers, along with a handful of northern buyers, including commission buyer Duncan Brown (Albury, NSW) who were chasing a lot of cattle.

"If you're a grazier with weight in your cattle at the moment, you will be rewarded."

HF Richardson auctioneer Matt Sculley said grown, heavier steers were the highlight of the sale, exceeding agents' expectations.

"Cows and calves commanded more interest and were significantly dearer compared to a month ago," he said.

"Locally, there was not a lot of support from graziers, however, the sale did have a lot of interest from restockers in northern Victoria and NSW."

In other sales, MJ & LS Gordon sold 23 Angus weaner, 228kg, steers for 362c/kg or $825.

JM Cochran & Co sold 34 Angus weaner, 349kg, steers for 370c/kg or $1292.