Strong money at Mortlake as weaner sales commence
The first week of summer weaner calf sales has commenced with a bang. Here’s the latest from the sale at Mortlake.
OPENING pens of steers surged beyond 500c/kg at this morning’s Mortlake special weaner sale, with some producers earning 200c/kg more than same time last year.
Widespread rain in the last seven days elevated prices by 20c at the annual Mortlake weaner sale, according to agents.
Prospective local buyers were pushed out of the market by larger buyers with deep pockets as bidding on the rails volleyed back and forth between commission buyers, feedlots and AuctionsPlus.
Nutrien Ag Solutions auctioneer Josh McDonald said many local buers wer outbid.
“I don’t think we’ve sold many animals at all to a local bidder - they’re all gone further afield,” Mr McDonald said.
“We’ve had a few Gippsland buyers, a lot of interest from Northern Victoria, NSW and even into Queensland.”
A total yarding of 3745 cattle were offered at the sale with the top end of the weaner steers making between 460c/kg to 490c/kg for 400kg types.
Lighter weaner steers made between 480c/kg to 540c/kg.
One of the top priced lots of the day returned 536c/kg or $1431 for a pen of 33 Angus steers at 267kg offered by the Dumesny family.
Mr McDonald said the leading up to the sale they weren’t expecting prices to be at these heights but around 150mls of rain in the last week so “instantly boosted the market”.
“It’s up about 20c on previous sales and at least a dollar on the prices we were seeing at last years weaner sale,” he said.
“The market has been unbelievable and solid all the way through with outstanding results – even the heavier end are making near on 500c/kg.”
Local vendors Vicki Jones and Bob Haworth sold the best presented pen of steers at sale today for 464c/kg. They offered a total of 93 steers and 50 heifers. They said the prices have been “absolutely outstanding” pushing up around $200 more than the same sale last year.
In the heifer market, good lines of black Angus breeder heifers were in very high demand making between 480c/kg and 530c/kg while lightweight heifers tracked similarly well and in some cases made as much as and surpassed the weaner steers to top at 534c/kg.
“It’s not very often you see heifers make over 500c/kg,” Mr McDonald said.
Vendors Vickie Jones and Bob Haworth sold the best presented pen of steers for an impressive 464c/kg, and offered a total of 93 steers and 50 heifers.
They both said prices were “absolutely outstanding”.
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