Restockers fight for cattle at ‘unbelievable’ Hamilton sale

Competition for cattle at Hamilton is so fierce, heifers have been selling for as much as steers, for some lines. All the action from a sale featuring a sustained lift in prices that caught at least one agent by surprise.

CATTLE price momentum continued to build in Hamilton on Thursday as restockers fought to secure stock.

Prices for the market of 1680 cattle were so strong that four or five pens of heavy steers broke $2000, while heifer prices were level-pegging with steers for some lines.

LMB auctioneer Bernie Grant said the sustained lift in cattle prices was surprising in some ways.

“Normally when the cattle market gets dear, it does not hold up, but we have never seen it sustain and then get even dearer,” Mr Grant said.

Sam Savin from Nutrien-Savin Livestock Marketing described the sale as “unbelievable”.

“I feel like the demand is so strong we could sell cattle on the moon,” Mr Savin said.

“The market was really good, and even for cattle with a lot of weight with four or five pens of heavy steers that made $2000-$2273 to go back to the paddock.”

Mr Savin quoted rates of 405c/kg-412c/kg for steers over 500kg liveweight, up to 440c/kg for steers 400kg-450kg while it was “impossible to buy little steers under 500c/kg”.

“Prices are being pushed by grass and also the fat market,” he said.

One of the heavier drafts of steers was sold by Glynbrae, which averaged $2193. The heaviest pen of Angus and black baldy steers weighed 553kg and made 405c/kg ($2240) while the next 15 weighing 515kg made 412c/kg ($2121).

Mr Savin said the Glynbrae steers were normally held through to bullock weights, but the vendors had decided to sell early.

Other noteworthy sales included the South Barnoolut Hereford steers weighing 430kg which made 420c/kg or $1806.

Lines of spring 2019-drop yearling cattle also sold at high rates including those from Lowanna, with the 433kg Angus steers making 436c/kg or $1888.

One of the best sales was achieved by The Hummocks, which offered a line of spring-drop Angus steer weaners. The lead pen, weighing 345kg, made 470c/kg ($1622); the next pen at 313kg made 524c/kg ($1640) while the third pen, at 280kg, made 534c/kg or $1495.

As steer prices spiked, heifer rates were also dragged up as some prospective buyers changed gears as steers became too pricey.

Mr Savin said buyers needed at least 400c/kg to buy any heifer at all, with an order each from Gippsland and Tasmania needing to be filled. Some heifers went back to the paddock to join but others went to be fattened.

Heavy Angus heifers sold by Cadell weighing 451kg made 418c/kg ($1885) while another pen of heavier heifers sold by Willamay tipping the scales at 436kg made 422c/kg ($1839).

Even lighter heifers were keenly sought with a pen of 32 spring drop Angus sold by Wannawong weighing 260kg making 470c/kg or $1222.

Vendor Geoff McErvale from Branxholme sold 15-16-month-old Charolais Angus steers for $1769 (419kg, 422c/kg) and $1959 (470kg, 417c/kg) as well as Angus-cross heifers for $1870 (431kg, 421c/kg).

While delighted with all prices, it was the rates for the heifers which pleased him most.

“If prices hold until the weaner sales, it will be surprising to see a difference in price between steers and heifers,” Mr McErvale said.

“I’ve never seen it like this before and this is the first real look we have had at the high prices.

“At least if you buy heifers, you can go two ways by either fattening or joining but there’s only one way with steers and you wouldn’t want to see too much of a price fall.”

While competition came from Gippsland as well as orders from Tasmania and through commission buyer Duncan Brown, most cattle stayed locally and went back to the paddock. There was limited competition from smaller feedlot operators.