Light steers lift 60c/kg at Wodonga

Prices were mixed at Thursday’s Wodonga store cattle sale, with light steers in demand in a big improvement on last week.

A lift of 60c/kg for light steer calves at Wodonga today has been welcomed by breeders as the store market showed signs of returning to a more traditional price trading pattern.

Steers weighing less than 280kg achieved a higher price average than heavier feeder steers in a change to the worrying “inversion” that has been playing out at store sales.

Young Angus steers in the 200-280kg weight range sold to $1100 to hit a peak of 438c/kg liveweight today, with the 862 head in this category averaging 383c/kg or $923. It is a big improvement on last week’s Wodonga store sale where 523 calves of the same weight averaged 321c/kg or $786, according to figures from the NVLX which operates the selling centre.

Elders selling under the spotlight at Wodonga.

On paper it marks a $137 price bounce in just a week, but noting this week’s sale did have some big feature lines of little Angus calves which played into the stronger result.

The overall trend from today was mixed, with some flatter bidding spots at times in the heavier steers as not all the regular feedlot orders were operating. The few cows and calves remained tough to sell, often struggling to make split value, and demand for coloured or off-bred lots of steers and heifers remained subdued.

But with light calves making up more than half the 2440 cattle yarding, auctioneers were relieved to see the market take a positive step.

“We were nervous about getting through the sheer number of light calves we had,” Elders auctioneer Ollie Mason said.

“We really didn’t think we would get near 400c/kg with what’s been happening. The feature lines probably attracted buyers and when they missed out on them they carried onto the smaller lots,” he said.

“I’m not at a point to say the pendulum has swung (in terms of restocker confidence and demand) but it is a shift in the right direction.”

The move was certainly welcomed by breeders such as Angus McKinnon, who runs properties at Euroa, Licola in Gippsland and on Flinders Island, turning off up to 1000 calves a year.

He sold another big line of nearly 200 calves from The Range at Euroa, after selling 300 at Leongatha a week earlier. The lead pen of 27 Angus weighing 325kg sold for $1150 (353c/kg; 28 at 277kg for $1080 (389c/kg); and 13 at 244kg for $975 (399c/kg).

“It’s the first time (this selling season) I’ve seen light weaners make more than the heavier steers, which is the way it used to always be,” he said.

“That inversion – of light steers making less cents-a-kilogram – was a real concern and something I’d never really seen before.”

“We have been holding on for as long as possible with these calves expecting the market to change but it really hasn’t done a lot, and we have been feeding since mid February at a cost of up to $2500 per day.

“But it’s a bit mistake to just sell all your calves for whatever you can get as it can cost you a lot of money.”

Angus McKinnon was a major vendor at the Wodonga store cattle sale.

The main run of light Angus steers was from East Gippsland breeder ‘Pilso’ Richard’s, Brookville Angus at Swifts Creek. An annual drop of calves, they were sold a month or two earlier than usual due to the tight season.

The lead run of 115 steers, averaging just over 250kg, sold for $1090; the next four pens at under 250kg sold for $1018; 31 at 236kg sold for $975 (413c/kg); and 93 at an average of 204kg made $864 or 423c/kg.

“They’ve sold well considering how tight the season is and the amount of little cattle coming onto the market,” Mr Richards said.

“I’d usually like to get these through to August or September or the start of spring to have more weight on them, but the season isn’t with us.”

Pilso Richard, of Brookville Angus, Swifts Creek, was a major vendor at the Wodonga store cattle sale was

Commission buyer Duncan Brown was the major buyer of stock across the yarding, followed by Andrew Lowe. Selling agents estimated most of the numbers went north into NSW, one buyer showing The Weekly Times a picture of green crop knee high that steers were going onto near Coonamble.

In the heavier steers the best price was $1890 for 25 Angus from BJ Schultz, Yallambee at Mulwala, which weighed 483kg and sold for $1890 or 391c/kg to a feedlot.

Any of the well bred Angus steers suiting feeders sold above 360c/kg, but there was also sales below this in a run that some agents described as “shaky” in terms of depth of buying demand.