Female cattle step up as restockers continue rebuild

Prices for steer calves softened, while the popularity of female cattle soared. Here’s what happened at saleyards last week.

Action from the Euroa weaner calf sale, January 2021. PICTURE: Madeleine Stuchbery.

FEMALE cattle values lifted at weaner calf sales last week, as prices for young steers softened slightly compared with the record highs of the previous week.

There was strong competition at saleyards across southern Australia for heifer calves and pregnancy tested in-calf cattle, as the national herd rebuild maintains its pace.

At Euroa, steer weaner prices were softer, with steers weighing 300-350kg making returns from 371c/kg to 520c/kg.

The week before, 500c/kg was the benchmark price for steers and heifers at southern weaner sales.

But commission buyers such as Andrew Lowe were kept on their toes throughout the heifer sale, with online bidders driving prices beyond 700c/kg.

Heifer weaner calves weighing 319-410kg made returns from 426c/kg to as high as 511c/kg, while one pen of weaner Angus heifers, weighing 210kg, sold for $1480, or 704c/kg.

AuctionsPlus livestock manager Anna Adams said online bidding was beginning to have an impact on prices.

“From a general stance, people are slowly becoming more comfortable buying any kind of commodity online, whether it’s wine, livestock or cars,” Ms Adams said.

“A lot of agents have spoken about online bidding putting a floor in the market. There are certainly times the online buyers are outbidding the physical buyers.”

Naracoorte, in South Australia, recorded its best ever female cattle sale, with 1300 pregnant heifers and cows selling to a top of $3100.

One of the largest vendors was Michael Mattei, of Williup at Hynam, who sold 173 pregnant heifers for an average of $2600, grossing nearly $450,000.

Although the buy-in prices were much higher, Mr Mattei said he, like all farmers, was a “price taker” and he had little choice but to keep in the market.

The expense of cattle was a comment made often at yards last week, with speculation as to how high prices can go before becoming unsustainable.

Elders Euroa livestock agent Joe Allen said many vendors were “more than pleased” with prices last week, while others more hesitant.

“A lot were concerned about where the market is going to wind up,” Mr Allen said. “It’s getting to the point where they can’t see the reality of it. It’s going to be an interesting couple of months in the agricultural industry.”

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