Cattle producers push store prices skyward at Pakenham
Buyer hunger for store cattle at Pakenham in Victoria has been insatiable. And with the recent easing of the state’s lockdown restrictions, strong crowds have jostled to bid on the latest yarding there of 2400 cattle.
STORE cattle were quoted as dearer again at Pakenham yesterday, with agents using words such as “hunger” to describe high levels of restocking demand.
With the easing of coronavirus restrictions, more people were able to attend the 2400-strong yarding, including the return of northern based commission buyers such as Duncan Brown.
Everitt Selley and Bennetts livestock agent Jarrod Bennetts said the market was exceptional.
“It was definitely dearer again than a fortnight ago — every sale we have the market seems to take a step up,’’ he said.
“You could actually see the hunger people had to purchase cattle, and it didn’t matter what was selling, from heifers through to the odds and sods, everything attracted exceptional demand.’’
Some feature lines of weaners were the highlight.
John and Mandy Black, Trafalgar South, sent in a line of 75 Angus calves that normally wouldn’t have been sold until closer to Christmas — the heady rates prompting the early marketing.
The top pen of steers weighed 317kg and made $1620, returning 511c/kg liveweight.
Mr Bennetts said 500c/kg was the base for quality runs of weaner steers weighing 280kg plus, with sales reported at up to 540c/kg for the lead drafts.
On lighter calves, he said, rates moved up to 600c/kg.
He quoted a clients pen of little Angus steers which made $1540 and when ran over the scales later weighed 258kg.
He said they then weighed the heifers from the draft which made over $1400 and they too had
made around 600c/kg on a weight of 240kg.
Restockers with flourishing spring feed dominated purchasing of young cattle under 400kg, while feedlots were active on the heavier rates.
Even heavy steers had a base of 400c/kg, with Angus at 572kg selling for $2310 to a feedlot order.
Overall, Mr Bennetts said farmers really needed $1400 plus to be competitive on any decent beef steers and heifers.
There was reports of little bucket-reared Friesian steers making $1000.
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