Mortlake boasts nearly 5000-strong yarding
Just shy of 5000 steers, weaners and heifers were yarded at yesterday’s Mortlake store cattle sale. See what prices were recorded at the sale.
FEEDLOT competition maintained recent strong price trends for cattle at Mortlake’s store sale yesterday with almost 5000 cattle yarded.
The 4705-strong yarding of steers, weaners, heifers, cows and calves made solid returns, as feedlot buyers were heavily active throughout the sale.
Grown steers topped the sale at $2152.80 or 444c/kg, with an average price between 400c/kg to 430c/kg.
A pen of weighed weaner steers topped the sale at 502c/kg, with the run of weaner steers making returns between 400c/kg to 440c/kg on average.
While a number of cattle were purchased by buyers from the Mortlake and Camperdown areas, it was the feedlots who were most active along the rails.
Colin Surkitt from Hazelwood Farm at Naringal East was at the sale as a genuine buyer to purchase heifers.
He also sold the best presented pen of 43 Angus steers weighing 444kg for 430c/kg.
Mr Surkitt said prices were “very buoyant a the top end”, with heifers also making impressive returns.
“The thing that’s really taken off is the heifers. We’ve been trying to buy some to start more breeding, but it’s very hard to get into,” Mr Surkitt said.
“The breeding cattle in Australia just aren’t there. We bought heifers just over 12 months ago for $440, and now they’re at $1100, that’s where it’s really jumped. The steers have jumped, but not like the heifers.”
Prices for heifers softened on returns made at the last store sale, but held firm with prices averaging between 390c/kg to 400c/kg.
A top pen of weaner heifers made returns of 432c/kg, or $1751.49.
Nutrien Warnnambool livestock agent Josh McDonald said prices at Mortlake were following trends set statewide in recent weeks.
“There’s lots of competition here today, a lot of buyers, a few northern orders … there’s plenty of competition,” Mr McDonald said.
Mr McDonald said feedlot orders were driving much of the action at the sale, with feedlots sending cattle to Charleton and as far as Deniliquin.
“All the big operators are here.”
Mr McDonald said he didn’t see prices softening in the near future, with demand for cattle still pulling on the domestic herd.
“We’ve yarded almost 5000 cattle today, when usually in the winter months we’d be back down about 2000 cattle,” Mr McDonald said.
“The prices have obviously driven a lot of the cattle out. But (prices) may have reached their limit at the moment.”
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