Quality stock at Casterton cattle sale draws border agents
Restockers high on grass fever are driving livestock prices further north in southern Victoria at Casterton. Grown Angus-cross steers have topped at 524c/kg — and that’s just one of the hot rates being seen there.
ANOTHER week and another cattle market where prices keep heading into uncharted territory.
That is how agents described today’s small but hot special store sale at Casterton in Victoria’s far west today.
Prices were hotter again on last week’s rates seen at sales in the border region known as the Green Triangle — Victoria’s Western District and the South East of South Autralia.
Despite the market’s buoyancy — and set in Casterton’s saleyards surrounded by lush green feed, rolling on hillsides as far as the eye can see — the mood was subdued, almost cautious as buyers shelled out enormous money for fresh stock.
The 700-head sale was interfaced with AuctionsPlus, which gave the market a firm base and robbed local would-be-buyers from snapping up the odd bargain pen.
Hereford steers weighing 580kg topped the day at $2256, or 389c/kg, sold by Sunningdale and bought by Creek Livestock, while a pen of eight Angus steers, Boonaroo blood, 460kg fetched 438c/kg or $2014.
These Angus steers were sold by West Ridge and purchased by Princess Royal feedlot.
The average for the 666 steers and heifers was $1513 or an extraordinary 438c/kg.
Grown Angus heifers topped at 466c/kg and averaged 429c/kg while Hereford heifers made up to 429c/kg at best and averaged 401c/kg.
A top quality offering of Murray Grey heifers topped at 448c/kg and averaged 442c/kg.
In the steer offering Angus and Angus cross topped at 524c/kg and made 455c/kg-462c/kg on grown lines.
Hereford steers sold very well, fetching up to 515c/kg and averaging 438c/kg.
Weaner Angus heifers topped at 479c/kg and the steers reached 530c/kg.
The strongest bidding came from South Australian agencies, Creek Livestock, Miller Whan and John buying for Lindsay and Olgivies, Pinkerton Palm Hamlyn and Steen and Thomas Degaris and Clarkson, topping up their for their clients who are flush with feed.
Other buyers included Nutrien Casterton and Southern Grampians Livestock Hamilton, as well as Garrison feedlot Princess Royal and Woodward.
From further afield, Nutrien Wangaratta collected 50 head.
Vendor Owen Edge, Phoines Pastoral, Casterton sold 45 12-13-month-old Murray Grey and Angus heifers to a top of $1517 for 12 greys, 341kg which made 444c/kg, paid by TDC Penola.
A further pen of 21 332kg heifers were knocked down at 448c/kg or $1489, these weighing 332kg.
“We’re selling these surplus heifers now because the prices are so handy,” Owen said.
“We normally sell bullocks between now and January; prices are really good but I don’t have the confidence that the industry has that they will hold on in the long-term.
“It is such an unknown time in the world, there are a lot of restockers and when the rainfall stops I think the prices will come back.
“This is rain driven.
“We are considering doing more grain (for a cash crop) next year and destocking a bit.”
TDC Penola agent Darren Maney said prices had been getting dearer “every week”.
“These prices are feed driven, the South East and Western District has never looked so good in October.”
MORE
SKY-HIGH CATTLE PRICES STILL YET TO PEAK
Eastern market booming
See how the restocker movement on the east coast is having an affect on cattle in the west.
Only way is up for cattle rate
Cattle prices continue to rise week after week. But producers are beginning to wonder, how high can prices go? Here’s what the industry experts have to say.