STRONG prices, but not sky high, was the consensus following the new year run of weaner sales at Wodonga, Victoria, last week.
As the hammer fell for the last time on Friday afternoon, 12,915 young cattle had been auctioned during the three days, with weaner steers topping at $935 a head.
Restockers and backgrounders helped keep the lotfeeders and processors on their toes.
National Livestock Reporting Service livestock market officer Leanne Dax said Wednesday’s sale was the domain of the restockers and backgrounders, who made the majority of purchases.
“Competition was strong from the outset with many categories selling to a higher level compared to last year,” she said.
She said the yarding size was also up on last year and there was quite a bit more weight in the calves.
“With a yarding of 4415 head today (Wednesday), that means there are about 800 more cattle yarded than last year already,” she said.
The first two days were conducted by Elders, Landmark and Corcoran Parker, while the third day was run by five independent agents (Brian Unthank Rodwell, Paull and Scollard, Peter Ruaro Livestock, Kindellan Livestock and Property and Schubert Boers).
One of the standout prices during the weaner sales was the $935, or 241 cents a kilogram, achieved by Neil and Christine Magee, “Wangaroa”, Greta, Vic, for their 22, eight- to nine-month-old, Paringa-blood, 387kg Charolais/Angus steers.
Charolais/Angus were in demand, with the Cook family, Rangan Park Charolais, Sandy Creek, Vic, also making $54 more – $894 – for their nine- to 10-month-old, 388kg, weaner heifers than they did last year.
Vendor Graeme Cook said he was “surprised” at what they made, but they had both breeder and backgrounder competition on them, which pushed the price up.
The unexpected attendance of processor JBS Australia added to the competition, particularly on Thursday and Friday.
Speculation before the sales suggested JBS was planning to bypass the weaner sales this year, but the company trucked about 1185 head from Wodonga, and was particularly interested in European Union (EU) accredited cattle.
With about 800 EU-accredited cattle penned on the last day, JBS were very active on suitable lines and seemed happy to pay a premium for them.
Many regular vendors on day three started breeding EU-eligible cattle as they had noticed lotfeeders and processors were paying a premium for them at last year’s sales.
Breeder Michael McCormack, The Cascade Pastoral Company, Tallangatta Valley, Vic, sold his Angus weaner steers under the EU-eligible banner this year.
“Last year JBS paid a premium for EU-accredited cattle so I was curious to see if it would help,” he said.
And it seems it did, with Mr McCormack achieving a top price of $870 – a $50 increase on last year.
Melbourne livestock agency Chris Stanley Livestock was also active, taking some of the larger lines of Angus weaner steers, however The Land was unable to confirm where the cattle were headed to.
For the vendors, the sale was a top result, according to both Elders Albury livestock manager Matt Tinkler and Corcoran Parker Wodonga principal Trevor Parker.
Mr Tinkler described the prices as “very strong”.
For Rod Manning and the team at Davilak Pastoral Company, Mansfield, Vic, it was a case of a lucky prediction.
After selling their weaner steers privately out of the paddock for a number of years, Mr Manning thought the market was right to sell them through the saleyards again this year.
“This year looked like the yard price would exceed the paddock price and in the end we are very happy with what we got,” he said.
Davilak Pastoral sold the largest run of weaner steers at the first day of the sale, offering 405 Angus steers.
The top run of 124 Angus weaner steers, 10 to 11 months, weighing on average 340 kilograms, Glendaloch-blood, yard weaned, sold for $860 or 253c/kg.
Regular vendor Sue Ray, “Waralla”, Ournie, once again took out the top honours, winning the best presented pen of steers and selling the top-priced weaner steers on day one for $895 – about $30 up on last year’s top.
After receiving the prizemoney for the best presented pen Ms Ray graciously donated it back to the Riverina Cancer Institute in Wagga Wagga.
Ms Ray sold 206 Angus weaner steers, 10 to 11 months, Koojan Hills-blood, for an average of $881.
“I thought last year’s market was as dear as it could get – I certainly didn’t expect it to go any better this year.”
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