Leongatha store sale: Fully firm market sees steers top at $2600
Cattle have again sold to fully firm rates ahead of forecast winter rain. See which pens topped the market.
Another large yarding of 5500 cattle sold to fully firm rates at the Leongatha store sale last week, topping at $2600 for steers.
The market déjà vu has been welcomed by agents and vendors who are keeping a close eye on prices coming into the height of winter with rain forecasted for most of this week.
All the regular feedlot buyers were present and active on the day seeing heavy steers return firm rates at 430c/kg for 500-600kg types. The top end weaners at 300-350kg made around 550c/kg while lighter weaners below 300kg returned 600c/kg plus.
“Feedlots are the real strength on those heavy cattle and they’re even pushing into the best of those spring drop calves as well. They’re operating anywhere from 350kg and upwards now,” Elders Leongatha branch manager Rowan McRae said.
Mr McRae said the cattle numbers filling the store market are still being sourced by producers across wider Gippsland looking to offload heavy cattle into a the elevated market.
“People are making the decision to sell these heavy 500-600kg feeders at $2300 to $2600 and then they’ll go and replace them with a spring drop calve for $1700 or $1900. So they’re putting cash in their pocket and a spring drop calve is a lot easier to feed and carry over winter,” he said.
Young bidder, nine-year-old Siena Rikken, secured 33 Hereford steers at 321kg for $1720 or 536c/kg from vendor Bryan Whelan and friend Frank Balcombe. Siena and her father Daniel Rikken were looking for quiet Hereford steers to restock and grow out on their property in Trafalgar.
The heifer market was similarly firm again on the previous store market.
Heavy heifers at 447kg offered by Holey Plains returned 463c/kg or $2070 for 18 Angus. Their second pen of eight Angus at 451kg made $2050 or 454c/kg.
The tops of the spring drop calves offered by J W G Dean made 547c/kg or $1770 for 21 Angus at 323kg.
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