High feeder steer prices benefit southern buyers at Yea store cattle sale

Young cattle sold to strong demand at the Yea store sale with Inverugie Pastoral amogst the vendors. See our list which details who sold the top cattle and what prices they made.

Southern cattle producers taking advantage of high feeder steer prices were out in force at Yea today buying younger spring drop replacements.

Agents from South Gippsland and Hamilton were the backbone of Nutrien Livestock’s annual feature yarding of 3500 spring drop steers and heifers, held in front of a reduced crowd as Covid-19 restrictions kicked-in again.

Prices reached $1950 for 24 Angus steers from P Trowbridge of Brilliant Pastoral that had a displayed weight of 364kg, working out to 535c/kg liveweight.

This pen was one of the few over 350kg, and the majority of the steer calves weighing from 250kg to 330kg and sold consistently in a range of $1500 to $1870 per head.

The verdict on prices was that they remained in the high price levels of recent markets at 550c to 620c/kg lwt for the general run, with spikes out to 650c plus for the lightest calves under 240kg.

“It is ticking along very nicely,’’ said Paul McKenzie, Campsie Glen, who was representing his family who had 112 steer calves in the sale.

Paul McKenzie, Campsie Glen. Picture: Jenny Kelly

Campsie Glen’s lead pen of 16 Angus at 327kg sold for $1780, with the lightest pen at 260kg making $1610 at over 600c/kg.

Medium and lightweighted steer calves were well supported as agents sourced replacements for southern producers cashing-out of grown steers in favour of smaller steers to carry through the winter.

The Nutrien network from around Leongatha and Sale purchased a combined 400 head.

Bryan McCormick, Nutrient Leongatha, said the price increase for grown steers to feedlots had been encouraging a lot of trading.

“Steers weighing 550 to 650kg that aren’t quite there as bullocks are going out at $2300 to $2500 to feedlots, and they are being replaced with good calves at $1700 that are a lot easier to take through the winter,’’ he said.

“While we suspect the beef market is going to be all right, who knows really and the idea is to take the margin now (sell at $2500 and buy at $1700) and be set to go again.’’

Another volume buyer was Western District agent Heath Templeton, Southern Grampians, who bought nearly 300 head, including some of the lightest steer calves such as 56 head from

Malcolm White, Inverugie Pastoral at Yea, sold 200 Angus steers and heifers to a top of $1870 for steers at 342kg. Picture: Jenny Kelly

A&S Farming which weighed 228kg for $1440 (631c/kg).

Following on from Mortlake the day before where he had also purchased big numbers, he said the store market was performing very consistently with little price relief for buyers.

“At Mortlake yesterday I averaged 639c/kg for EU calves and 582c for non EU, and here at Yea today we have paid over 600c for young steers so it is all very dear,’’ he said.

He said they were purposely targeting light steer calves with the aim of turning them off in at ideal feeder steer weights of 400-450kg just prior to Christmas after the spring flush of feed.

YEA SUMMARY

YOUNG STEERS

P Trowbridge, The Brilliant: 24 Angus, 364kg, $1950 (535c/kg lwt)

WB&VC Kelly: 17 Angus, 347kg, $1920 (553c)

Inverugie: 25 Angus, 342kg, $1870 (546c)

Joyce Park: 17 Angus, 320kg, $1870 (584c)

BM&MM Griffiths: 21 Angus, 310kg, $1820 (587c)

Black on Green: 53 Angus 319kg, $1790 (561c)l 35 Angus, 289kg, $1710 (591c);

Campsie Glen: 16 Angus, 327kg, $1780 (544c); 22 at 326kg, $1770; 25 at 278kg, $1620 (582c)

Silver Hills: 24 Angus, 294kg, $1680 (571c)

Ballandry Pastoral: 46 Angus, 262kg, $1610 (614c)

YOUNG HEIFERS

Inverugie Pastoral: 40 Angus, 291kg, $1630 (560c); 31 at 319kg, $1500 (470c)

R&R Hill: 13 Angus, 318kg, $1610 (506c)

P Growbridge, The Brilliant: 27 Angus, 281kg, $1600 (570c); 19 Angus, 300kg, $1550 (516c)

G&A Rennie: 11 Angus, 291kg, $1500 (515c)

GR Salter: 27 black baldy, 269kg, $1370 (509c)