Store sales: Young cattle have climbed to “nuts” prices at spring sales

Weaners sold for $8/kg-plus at Casterton, where heated bidding pushed prices higher ahead of the key selling period.

Boonaroo Angus was among the top-sellers at Casteron’s spring store cattle sale today.

Young cattle prices jumped “$200 to $300 a head” higher than expectations at a yarding of quality grown steers and heifers and some weaners in Victoria’s west today.

Casterton agents sold 1200 cattle to a buoyant market today, with prices for weaners stretching into the 800c/kg territory and to 826c/kg on 220kg lines.

And the small spring sale has put some extra spring in the step of Western District cattle breeders ahead of the major, key summer weaner selling season.

This comes as the Eastern Young Cattle Indicator prices – a calculation from major prime sales along the east coast reached a new high of 1065.97c/kg at yesterday's closing.

Casterton Nutrien agent Greg Bright described today’s rates as “nuts” and driven by quality breeding, optimism in the season and long-term pricing and a shortage of good cattle.

“It was hard to tell what would happen but it was probably $200 to $300 up on what I thought it would be,” Mr Bright said.

“The yarding was mostly steers and heifers and a small number of weaners and they were off the planet, over 800c/kg.”

Prices were pushed even further at recent markets in Victoria’s west. PICTURE: Zoe Phillips

Some of the best prices included; Boonaroo Angus heifers, 12-14 months, 390kg, 644c/kg or $2500 and a further pen weighing 356c/kg that made 636c/kg or $2300. These were bought by a Casterton local to join.

Rocklyn Park sold 37 steers, 256kg, which made 778c/kg or $1990.

Lighter steers from Rocklyn fetched 788kg for a line weighing 240kg which worked out at $1890 and 19 more, 220kg, sold for 826c/kg or $1810.

In all Rocklyn’s 80 steers, averaging 242kg made $1920, or just shy of 800c/kg at 793c/kg.

“I have never seen a sale like it," Mr Bright said.

“I think these rates will continue into the weaner sales and be here for a long time yet.

“This time last year we were talking 400-500c/kg.”

Phoines Pastoral sold Angus and Murray Grey cross heifers to 636c/kg for a line weighing 318kg, while at the heavy end, 340kg heifers fetched bids to 608c/kg. These heifers went to buyer putting them onto feed, and some were to be joined.

At the heavy grown steers end, an indicative price was a pen of 11 Angus-cross grown steers, 503kg, which cleared for 592c/kg or just below $3000 at $2977.

MJ & LP Nolte sold 24 Angus-cross grown steers, 581kg for 520c/kg, cracking $3021.

Buyers came from the local area, particularly on heifers to join, Heywood and Hamilton regions, South East South Australia, feedlots and commission buyer Duncan Brown.