Cattle store market gains momentum: Wangaratta

Angus heifer calves sold to more than $1500 at Wangaratta today, following a “hot” Wednesday sale that has them on track for a $9m week.

The store market has gained more momentum with Angus heifer calves selling to $1530 at Wangaratta today as the best future breeders hit $4 a kilogram.

It followed a “hot’’ steer calf sale on Wednesday, which has Wangaratta on track to boast a $9m-plus weaner sale week as dollar-a-head returns lifted hundreds on the rates achieved just a few weeks ago in early January.

The 4695 steers sold on Wednesday averaged $1316 a head after all the steer calves in the lighter weight categories averaged more than 400c/kg liveweight. The average price for steers in the 280-330kg range was 439c/kg, according to saleyard data.

Today it was the heifers, and breeders who pushed in extra stock as they chased the rising market weren’t disappointed. After advertising about 2500 heifers, agents yarded 3125 and the average price was tracking at $1139 after 2284 had been sold and this report was compiled.

“It has been great, prices have all been on a bit of a bounce since that Yea weaner sale (two weeks ago) when the market really seemed to take off,’’ said breeder Anthony Bailey of Bialla at Tatong.

Agent Darren Askew, Mokoan Livestock, with client Anthony Bailey, Bialla at Tatong, who received the top price of $1530 for Angus heifers at Wangaratta today.

Mr Bailey’s lead pen of 23 Angus heifers had a displayed weight of 382kg and sold for $1530 or 400c/kg, with the next run of 25 at 340kg making $1220 or 358c/kg.

It was one of just a handful of sales to push into this level. The 45 Redcourt Pastoral Angus heifers sold for $1500 on a weight of 370kg over two penlots, reaching 405c/kg.

The sale opening pen of grown heifers, aged 18 months and weighing 446kg, sold for the top dollar price of $1550, equalling 347c/kg liveweight.

The majority of the yarding, however, was weaner heifer calves and the market consistently sat between $900 and $1200 across the general run or 320c/kg to 360c/kg liveweight.

Behind the result was strong volume buying from commission buyer Andrew Lowe who was sending multiple loads north into NSW for backgrounding and potential breeding programs; and Elders agent David Simpson who purchased more than 500 head for clients in the Bathurst region.

Mr Simpson said they were taking the unusual step of purchasing replacement cattle before they sell a lot of cattle to feedlots and trade processors in coming weeks.

“We’ve watched the market get dearer and we’ve had more rain so we are buying in before cattle go out,’’ he said.

Mr Simpson said the southern store markets were offering the best quality and weight for age in young cattle, with feature sales in their NSW region still a couple of months away.

Mixing it with the northern orders were local northeast restockers and some southern support on key lines.

Daniel Fischer of Nutrien Wangaratta said some buyers who had missed out on steers on Wednesday due to the strong prices seemed to have dropped back to heifers, which offered the safety of being able to be joined if feeder or slaughter rates fell away again.

“I think that has been why we have seen that step-up on lighter heifers today,’’ he said.

The other positive out of the sale was the return of breeding confidence, with the top black heifers selling strongly to producers who specialise in the pregnancy-tested-in-calf heifer market or to farmers boosting their own herds.

“There was no demand for breeding heifers through much of the spring, but the best six or seven lines were chased out today and there was certainly a price differential for them compared to the general run.’’

Key results from today’s heifer sale included:

GP & D Norman: 17 Angus, 366kg, $1440;

Calview Pastoral: 31 Angus, 336kg, $1430 at 425c/kg;

P&K Del Mastro: 12 Angus, 421kg, $1400; 13 at 367kg, $1260

AG & JE Simpson, Araluen: 21 Angus, 371kg, $1450

E Wood, Samaria: 16 Angus, 375kg, $1320;

Cold Springs Pastoral: 22 Angus, 321kg, $1130