Wodonga store cattle sale rates push above 400c/kg

Prices for store cattle have pushed above 400c/kg at Wodonga where buyers from three states snapped up pens.

Sam and Kelly Livinstone, Rutherglen and their children Addi, 1, and Macey, 5, bought Angus cows and calves at Wodonga.

Strong prices for a small yarding and cattle going to three states reflected the competition for store cattle, with Wodonga’s market surprising all who attended.

Steer prices pushed above 400c/kg on odd occasions and plenty sold for more than 350c/kg liveweight as buyers in a geographical spread from South Australia to northern NSW bid on the offering.

There were 1034 cattle yarded, down from the 2000 advertised.

Selling action at the Wodonga store cattle sale last week where prices were judged dearer thanks to competition from three states.

Rodwells auctioneer Scott Campbell said the market was poised to take off and was already showing signs.

“There were half the cattle here that we advertised and I think that is partly due to talk of rain next week and people having the capacity to hold,” Mr Campbell said.

“We saw the influence of rain in northern NSW today with cattle selling online to a client there, plus other commission buyers securing loads for that region too.”

Mr Campbell said a rain locally would add even more impetus to the bidding.

“We could see rates go up $200 and I hope they don’t climb too quickly and it’s more of a steady increase,” Mr Campbell said.

While there was a small offering, there were choice pens on offer including Angus steer weaners.

These included the draft from N Nichol, who sold 33 Angus, 398kg, for $1450 or 364c/kg liveweight, while the second lighter draft at 349kg, made $1330 or 381c/kg. The steers were EU accredited and weaned.

Another run was offered by The Elim Partnership, with its top pen of 18 weighing 363kg selling for $130 (369c/kg) with the second pen of 10, 303kg, making $1180 or 389c/kg.

One of the bigger drafts was offered by John Maddock from Bayrhyll at Tallangatta, whose Angus steer weaners sold to $1400 (425kg, 329c/kg) with the lightest pen, at 253kg, making $1000 or 395c/kg.

John Maddock from Bayrhyll Pty Ltd at Tallangatta said the results for his Angus weaners, which sold to 395c/kg liveweight, at the Wodonga store cattle sale, were pleasing and showed a market on the rise.

Mr Maddock said he was really pleased with the results in a market “on the rise”.

“Prices are getting better every week and we are very happy with how they sold,” he said.

Heifer prices sold above 300c/kg on one occasion but mostly sold from 250c/kg to 290c/kg.

The best heifer price on a cents-a-kilogram basis was 347c/kg paid for a pen of 12 Limousin heifers, nine- to-10-months, 314kg, which made $1090 for vendors R and P Martin.

Sam and Kelly Livinstone, Rutherglen and their children Addi, 1, and Macey, 5, bought Angus cows and calves at Wodonga.

The sale also included a run of cows and calves, and the dispersal of the Turner family’s Angus herd from Mitta Mitta.

These topped at $1810 for a pen of four to six year old Angus cows with calves to two months.