Mortlake store cattle sale November 2023: ‘Buoyant’ buyers lift cattle prices at Mortlake

Heifers were the standout at the Mortlake store cattle sale with some seeing a 50c/kg price jump on a month ago. See the full results.

Prices shifted and the mood changed as words like “buoyant’’ were used to describe today’s store cattle sale at Mortlake in the Western District.

Weaner steers sold to 304 cents a kilogram liveweight and heifers to 352c as the market bounced off the depressed rates of a month ago – driven up by a feature yarding that drew out more buying power.

Agents were still finalising results but their initial quote was 5-10c/kg dearer over heavier grown steers, while medium and lighter weaner calves gained 10-30c/kg and sometimes more on feature lines.

National Livestock Reporter Service officer Tim Delaney, who attends each store market at Mortlake, said the market showed a lot more energy than recently.

“It was like a buoyant type market compared to what I’ve seen for awhile,’’ he said.

The headline result was 352c/kg liveweight paid for 48 Angus heifer weaners bred by Ryan Pastoral and carrying Banquet bloodlines. At an average weight of 310kg it worked out at $1091.20 per head.

Ryan Pastoral also received 304c/kg for their middle draft of 45 weaner steers, aged 8-9 months and weighing 275kg which made $836.

The following key results were recorded by the NLRS from across the Mortlake sale:

• 1106 heavy Angus steers weighing 400kg plus sold from 190c to 246c/kg and average
• 233c/kg liveweight or $1157 on a weight of 496kg. It showed a gain of nearly 50c on a month ago;
• 627 Angus weaner steer calves weighing above 330kg sold from 220c to 266c and averaged 248c/kg lwt or $903 on an average size of 364kg. This was up 60c;
• 426 Angus middle draft Angus steer weaners, 280-330kg, sold from 230c to 282c and averaged 267c/kg or $807 on a weight of 302kg;
• 209 grown Angus heifers sold from 176c to 222c/kg and averaged 202c or $936 on a weight of 463kg;
• 167 Angus heifer weaners, 280-330kg, sold from 218c to 352c/kg and averaged 266c or $802 on a weight of 309kg; and
• 218 lighter Angus heifer weaners, 200-280kg, sold from 210c to 282c and averaged 261c/kg lwt or $671 on a weight of 257kg.

The yarding was dominated by blacks and these did post the strongest sale averages, with breeds like Charolais-cross and Hereford tending to be 10c to 30c behind the feature Angus – noting there was also less of the colored cattle yarded.

Improved quality was a driver behind the market, with a percentage of the 4400 head yarding being lines of calves that would have gone into the late November sale at the now closed Warrnambool yards.

The sale had buying interest from three states – Victoria, South Australia and NSW.

Agents said rain in the north seemed to have helped rally demand from interstate, while Gippsland and Northern Victoria were also strong as these parts continue to enjoy a good spring.

The heavier steers – and there was a lot of weight in the yarding with a considerable number of grown steers weighing over 500kg liveweight – were also dearer as they benefited from more feedlot orders.

The majority of steers sold above 210c/kg liveweight, ramping up to between 230c to 290c/kg on the feature lines of calves.

The bulk of the young heifers also pushed above 200c/kg and agent Jack Kelly, from JJ Kelly, said the improvement in the heifer market had been the standout of the day.

“Some of the heifers were probably up 50c on a month ago and there was more farmers here buying them today which does help and something we haven’t seen for awhile,’’ he said.

“It was nice to see vendors with a smile on their face after some tough times in recent months.’’