Lighter cattle met with varied demand as tough season hits

Mortlake’s mammoth yarding of 5700 store cattle met with good interest from a big field of feedlotters, but there was variable demand on cattle without weight.

“Everyone is here”. That was the comment from a major processor’s buyer as the Mortlake sale kicked off today, with 5700 store-conditioned cattle going under the hammer amid a tight Western District autumn.

The “everyone” the buyer was referring to were the major feedlot and commission buyers, from outfits such as Teys Charlton, Thomas Foods International and big-volume commission buyers Duncan Brown and Campbell Ross.

These heavy hitters pushed the steer job at a good rate of knots, with most quoting it as firm, even “bloody good”, as recent sales.

But once the cattle weighed less than 350kg, weaknesses in demand, and confidence, were revealed, particularly on the smaller lines that lacked the punch of big, vendor bred selections.

Local competition was patchy, but interest was present from NSW, South Australian and Queensland buyers with agents finely tuned to good buying opportunities, meaning bargain hunters hoping for an opportunity went home empty-handed.

Grown Angus steers opened the sale at $1677 for 21 516kg Werna steers, at 325c/kg, followed by 25 from Rifle Ridge weighing 535kg which fetched $1819 at 340c/kg.

The headline act from today’s sale was Dunkeld’s Kimpton family’s Toora West steers and heifers.

Eight one, 18-20 month old Toora West steers 561kg sold for 364c/kg or $2042 to repeat purchasers, Gippslanders Mark Vaughan and Elizabeth Delahunty, Yarragon, to be grass finished for the JBS Farm Assurance program they participate in.

“We sold cattle recently so these are to replace them and they will probably be sold in November,” Mr Vaughan said.

“These (prices) were up there today,” Mr Vaughan said.

But given the store market was not trading at a premium to the prime market, Mr Vaughan said he was confident to buy, especially given the reduced size of the US cattle herd and expectations of higher prices to come for Australian cattle in coming seasons.

“I’m confident that (dynamic) will help prices here,” he said.

Purchasers Elizabeth Delahunty and Mark Vaughan of Yarragon bought steers at the Mortlake sale. Picture: Kate Dowler

In the grown heifers, the opening pen of 54 Toora West heifers fetched a bid of 320c/kg on 460kg weights, or $1472/head. This was paid by Wimmera Downs, also a repeat buyer.

Family matriarch Cass Kimpton said while the Toora West heifers were a bit tougher, the steer price was “still very good”.

“Heifers were a bit flat, but that is the season this year, people who have bought them before have had to pay more in other years, so this time they got them a bit cheaper, so that is how it goes, the prices were still all right,” she said.

“The steers were very good though.”

At Dunkeld, the Kimptons had received good rains at Easter with decent follow up falls, she said. “We have had lovely rain; we are conservatively stocked, we don’t feed too much, so we will have feed,” she said.

Vendors Cass Kimpton and grandson Angus MacGillivray pictured at Mortlake cattle sale. Picture: Kate Dowler

Moyne Falls yarded 500 light steers and heifers, with the first four pens making $860-$836.

The first 36, 239kg, were knocked down at 360c/kg or $860, the next 24 at 237kg returned 356c/kg or $843; 24 at 245kg made 350c/kg or $857 and 39, 239kg made 350c/kg or $836.

On the heifers, Moyne Falls had 31 Angus heifers at 205kg sell for 278c/kg or $569; 31 at 201kg return 278c/kg or $558, a further 31 at 207kg make 276c/kg or $571 and 32 at 183kg make 298c/kg or $545.

Deep Creek, Eckland South had six Charolais heifers 290kg which fetched 300c/kg or $870.

Ron Mills, Terang sold 14 Angus heifers, 270kg for 272c/kg or $730, which he said was “OK, but we just had to move them”.

Active throughout the sale was commission buyer Duncan Brown and he told The Weekly Times that heavier cattle chased by feedlots sold “bloody well really, if they had good weight”.

“But down below 350kg it got a bit tougher, back on what it has been,” he said.

This lack of demand for calves without weight showed up on heifers, particularly where an animal with an extra 150kg in weight could be making 300c compared with 220c/kg for plainer lines.

Nutrien auctioneer Josh McDonald said he thought the sale was “solid enough buying, given the season, but there was really not a lot of local competition”.

The sale was supported by Gippslanders, feedlots and northern buyers with grass. While next month’s Mortlake market would again see around 5000 cattle sold, Mr McDonald said the Western District was “getting towards it” when it came to selling down store cattle numbers.

“It really is tight enough around here, especially down towards the coastal areas,” he said.

Buyers gather at the rail during the sale at Mortlake. Picture: Kate Dowler