Cattle prices fail to respond to big rain at Wodonga store sale

Rain had a limited impact on the store cattle market at Wodonga today where prices failed to lift dramatically. Full report here.

Rain had a less than expected impact on the store cattle market at Wodonga today where prices failed to lift dramatically.

The lack of confidence in the cattle market continues to overshadow what potentially is a perfect spring in Victoria’s North East, including falls of up to 100mm in many areas this week.

There were lifts in prices for some of today’s offering of 1500 cattle, with lighter steers judged up to $100 dearer.

But no steers made more than 300c/kg, and heifer values continued to struggle.

Alan and Addison Strachan from Balldale, NSW, with agent Steve Grantham, Elders Corowa. The Stachans bought a pen of Hereford steers, 266kg, for $490 or 184c/kg, at the Wodonga store cattle sale.

In a pre-sale speech, Paull and Scollard-Nutrien auctioneer Tim Robinson said rain this week and better prime prices at Wodonga earlier this week could signal changing fortunes for cattle producers.

He urged those who had feed to bid up, and while locals provided the bulk of the competition there was little urgency in bidding.

Drafts of cows and calves sold to $1500 for a pen of black baldy heifers with calves to six weeks sold by Ried Partnership, with the balance of breeding units making $900-$1420.

The big crowd was keen to see if steer prices lifted on the back of rain, and saw some extra interest in lighter lines but values close to last week for anything with weight.

Just three pens of steers cracked the $1000 mark – all Angus and all weighing 380kg and more, with the top $1090 paid for a pen of nine weighing 453kg, which returned 241c/kg for vendor Mount Annan at Holbrook, NSW.

Gavin and Dixie Coutts from Tooma, NSW, bought two pens of Angus steers paying to $1035 (384kg, 270c/kg) at the Wodonga store cattle sale.

But buyers were choosy. Another pen of Angus steers, at 446kg, made $930 to return just 209c/kg.

Most Angus steers settled in a range of 230-260c/kg.

It was tougher going for Herefords though, with a top of $880 for a pen of 406kg steers, which returned just 217c/kg for vendor A Odewahn.

Oliver Mason, Elders Albury, with the tops of the draft of Tarabah Pastoral Company steers, with the run of 280 selling from $442 to $600 or 180-206c/kg at the Wodonga store cattle sale.

A big draft of 280 Poll Herefords steers was offered by well known vendor Tarabah Livestock Company. The top pen weighing 291kg made $600 (206c/kg) but the remainder could not break through the 200c/kg mark, and returned from 180-188c/kg for steers that weighed 246-266kg. It meant they made $442-$500.

While there was more interest in the lighter steers as buyers bought to a dollar-per-head budget compared to last week, heifer values were similar to a week ago, and looked buyable.

The top price for females was $835 paid for a pen of 21 Angus, 410kg, which returned 204c/kg for vendor R and B Surtees, with the seconds from the same draft, a pen of 10 weighing 384kg, making $700.

Only eight pens of heifers made $600 or more, and sold as cheaply as 136c/kg for a pen of Herefords, which returned $450 for the pen that weighed an average of 332kg.

A big draft of Angus heifers from Brooksby Pastoral made up to $550 (303kg, 182c/kg) but preference for weight was clear, with the lightest from the draft, a pen of 16 weighing 228kg, selling for just $300 or 132c/kg.

Buyers came from Wangaratta, Corowa, Corryong and local areas, while commission buyer Duncan Brown operated for a number of accounts including Westside Meats.