Store cattle prices: Wodonga sales down but strong

The latest cattle prices from Wodonga may have been “off the pace”, but were still strong. See the best prices here.

The money paid for store cattle today at Wodonga came back to being “very good” rather than exciting as the market drifts down from recent highs as plainer yardings start to appear.

There were just 1152 cattle on offer, ranging from some handy lines of yearling and weaner calves through to odds and sods.

On a liveweight basis there were fewer sales above 600c/kg, with only select pens of well-bred young cattle under 330kg bouncing to near the levels seen at the big weaner sales held earlier this month.

The Weekly Times calculated a range of 550c/kg to 630c/kg for most of the beef bred steers and heifers sold with displayed weights, although there was dips down to 520c/kg for small or mixed lots. Conversely, there was a peak of nearly 800c/kg for a pen of 10 young Hereford steers that weighed 221kg and sold for $1750, working out to 791c/kg.

In dollar-a-head terms this put most sales in the range of $1700 to $2200, and for the quality on offer at times, it still appeared strong money.

Rodwells auctioneer Adam Roberts said the market was still performing well but without the “hot demand” that was evident in the New Year when the big lines of calves were sold.

“This has eased back but these cattle are still very well priced,” he said.

“This sale hasn’t got the buyers from the north and there wasn’t the hot demand there has been.”

It was an observation mirrored by local agent Pat Kindellan, who had clients who sold cattle in the yarding. This included GJ and MM Wood who had a feature pen of 32 Angus steers which weighed 394kg and sold for $2410 at 611c/kg.

“Prices are obviously off the pace of what we were seeing earlier in the month, but the money is still very, very good,” he said.

“Most people would be very happy with the prices they are getting.”

This was true for NSW producer John Ryan, Milbrulong, who sold 14 young Santa Gertrudis steers for $1870 on a weight of 295kg, working out to 633c/kg.

“I thought the result was excellent,” Mr Ryan said.

“We had the feed at home to carry them on, and we usually do, but with the big money people are paying for store cattle we decided to let them go and let someone else do the work. And I think the price vindicates our decision to sell rather than put weight onto them.”

Other lots which performed strongly included:
SANDRA Forest, Beechworth: 13 black baldy steers, 336kg, made $2215 or 610c/kg 20 Hereford, 351kg, sold for $2290 or 652c/kg.

NANKERVIS Nominees: 10 black baldy, 322kg, sold for $2140 or 664c/kg; and 18 black baldy heifers, 305kg, at $1910 or 626c/kg.

But mixed among these sales was easier results such as $1920 for 8 black baldy steer steers at 347kg, working out to 553c/kg; 11 Charolais-cross steers at 419kg which made $2300, or 548c/kg.

There was a reasonable run of European bred heifers, sired by Limousin or Charolais bulls, which sold to backgrounders and feeders at $1800 to $2200 depending on size.

Local Wodonga based agencies bought most of the yarding, with a handful of regular commission buyers also operating for interstate clients.