Leongatha weaner steers fetch up to 650c/kg
Weaner steers have hit a spring price high of 659c/kg at Leongatha's cattle sale after recent rainfall sparked strong local competition.
A “very strong sale” at Leongatha has resulted in a feature run of weaner steers peaking above 650c/kg, the highest for the selling centre this spring so far.
Alex Scott and Staff livestock manager Dane Perczyk said agents yarded 2500 cattle at the Victorian Livestock Exchange on Thursday, which allowed for a “nice run through”.
He believed prices were up to $200 a head dearer on weaner-type cattle, but heavy feeder cattle remained firm to dearer on the previous sale.
Heavy steers typically made 480-560c/kg while heavy heifers fetched between 420c/kg and 490c/kg. Steers weighing 300-400kg made 470-580c/kg and lighter steers made 540-660c/kg.
“It was a very strong sale, off the back of anywhere between 30-40mm of rain here over the weekend, a couple of vendors jumped on that off the back of the rain,” Mr Perczyk said.
He said northern interest had eased while restockers operated strongly after decent rain across the Gippsland region. Feedlotters and processors still operated strongly at the sale.
“There was a lot of local competition here today and a lot of local agents buying cattle, the younger types and weaner cattle,” he said.
Leongatha vendor Michael Hulls fetched the highest price for weaner steers in spring at the Gippsland selling centre, reaching 659c/kg for a pen of 22 Angus steers, Sparta blood, which weighed 261kg and sold for $1720.
He sold all Angus weaner steers with Sparta blood at Leongatha including 22, 309kg, for $1810 or 585c/kg, 26, 290kg, for $1770 or 610c/kg, 26, 286kg, for $1790 or 626c/kg, 22, 284kg, for $1770 or 623c/kg and 19, 258kg for $1670 or 647c/kg.
“I probably wasn’t expecting that today,” he said. “The past week’s weather conditions probably shaped up in favour of it, we had varying from 22-30mm.
“It’s probably the past eight weeks that we’ve seen some grass in front of them, it’s been a tough year for them.”
Elders livestock agent Alex Dixon said it was an exceptional run of vendor-bred steers and “ticked all the boxes”.
“We can’t have them any better and we’ve picked a good day,” Mr Dixon said.
“We had rain last week, the grass is growing, there’s been good, repetitive competition on them and they’ve got a great name, the Hulls family.
“They have a good Angus commercial herd of cows and calves with good management and they’ve reaped the rewards and are so deserving too.”
Lindenow farmers Graeme and Pramon Hine sold 150 mixed-sex cattle with varying breeds, which were bought from Bairnsdale in March but originally from the Omeo region.
Their pens included 15 Angus steers weighing 511kg for $2650 or 518c/kg, 18 Hereford steers, 514kg, for $2480 or 482c/kg and 20 Hereford steers, 475kg, for $2450 or 516c/kg.
“They’ve done really well, we’re really happy,” Mr Hine said.
“They put on about 1.5-1.6kg a day.
“We bought better-bred stuff and that helps, if you’re going to feed something you want to make sure it’s well-bred so you get the most value out of it.”
Mr Hine said they were predominantly vegetable growers at Lindenow with beans and broccoli on the cards over summer before they would purchase more cattle.
Pakenham buyers Colleen and Phil Holland bought a pen of 15 Angus steers weighing 298kg for $1570, or 527c/kg. They said prices were dear, but wanted more cattle for their 20ha property.
“We get them young and build them out,” Ms Holland said. “We came two weeks ago, which was the first time we’ve been here.”
“We have plenty of hay at the moment from last summer, we’ve got a shed full of it and lots of grass.”
‘The cents-a-kilogram price on these cattle is phenomenal’
