Ballarat steer sale: Weaner steers near $8/kg

Commission buyers brought hard competition to Ballarat: “You had to have $2200 to buy a black calf”.

Marty and Lou Gleeson from Carrahil at Clarendon in front of their huge pen of 70 Angus steers which returned $2850 or 614c/kg.

Big cattle numbers saw big prices today at Ballarat.

A line up of 5500 cattle drew the attention of many prospective buyers to the yards, but as the bids climbed higher from deep-pocketed commission buyers, many would-be bidders walked away from the rails.

A top price of $3190 was achieved by the second pen of day. The lot of 11 Angus steers at 635kg offered by SJ Mullane and Sons came back at 502c/kg.

Cents-per-kilogram wise, a fantastic pen of 21 Angus steers at 302kg made 785c/kg or $2370.

Heavy steers from 550-600kg made from 500c/kg to 550c/kg while those from 450-550kg returned from 550c/kg to 630c/kg.

Weaner steers above 400kg made from $2400 to $2600 while those from 300-350kg made from 650c/kg to 700c/kg.

A heavy pen of 20 Angus steers at 505kg by Winter Valley made $2900 or 574c/kg.

TB White and Sons put forward the majority of the yarding with 3800 cattle on offer from the agency.

TB White and Sons auctioneer Tom Madden said it was an “impeccable yarding of cattle from start to finish”.

“The strength of the market came from all over the country from a handful of commission buyers and they wanted big numbers,” Mr Madden said.

“If you were a local operator looking to restock you had to compete with them — you had to have $2200 to buy a black calf.”

Marty and Lou Gleeson from Carrahil at Clarendon offered a total of 110 Angus steers with their feature pen of 70 Angus at 456kg selling for $2750 or 603c/kg.

“A lot of the feedlot pens like the big pens because they can fill up a truck quickly,” Lou said.

“The same type of cattle made $2300 last year so we’re more than $500 up,” Marty said.