The surprise results at Ballarat’s big cattle market

In a result that surprised many, prices defied the tougher season at Ballarat store cattle sale today. Find out why.

Dearer price trends were recorded for store cattle at Ballarat today after feedlots led a strong opening at up to 400c/kg liveweight for grown steers that seemed to give the market some positive momentum.

In a result that surprised regular market followers, the sale managed to post higher cents per kilogram liveweight averages across all the key younger steers and heifers despite the poor season in the south and big numbers of store animals being sold.

“I’m amazed - some of these little cattle are 50c/kg dearer than a month ago and we’ve still got eight weeks of winter left and a lot of cattle to probably come out, as parts of the Western District and into SA look like the moon,’’ commission buyer Duncan Brown said.

Maureen Fish and daughter Kirsten, Weatherby Downs at Mt Wallace, sold a run of 92 young steers to a top of $1180 for 35 calves at 305kg (386c/kg) at the Ballarat store sale.

Overall price gains weren’t that impressive across the sale, but data from AgriNous showed solid improvements of 5-20c/kg over most steers and heifers compared to the last store sale at Ballarat a on May 17.

These included:

GROWN steers weighing 500-600kg selling to 409c/kg and averaging 368c/kg, up 5c/kg;

GROWN steers weighing 400-500kg selling to 402c/kg and averaging 373/kg, compared to 358c/kg a month ago;

YEARLING steers 330-400kg selling to 395c/kg and averaging 352c/kg, against 348c/kg last sale; and weaner steers 200-280kg selling to 395c/kg and averaging 346c/kg, up from 330c/kg.

The figures show the strength of feedlot demand, with support for steers with weight and frame to go onto grain well supported by several feedlot orders including JBS, Teys and the Bunnaloo feedlot among others.

In dollar-per-head terms, the top price was $2230 for 23 grown steers from PJ and GA Morgan which had a displayed weight of 608kg (367c/kg liveweight). A pair of grown heifers of a similar weight reached $1840 in the unjoined female run.

Most of the feeder steers in the weight range of 350-500kg sold from $1300 to $1800.

It was a near capacity yarding of about 5000 cattle, with some debate about how much the dry conditions had boosted the offering. Local agents did point out that this Ballarat June sale is one of the centre’s bigger fixtures for the year, featuring regular drafts and people trading before the end of the financial year.

South Gippsland bullock producer Garry Hill, Poowong, was one of the restockers to mix it with feedlot competition, paying over $1600 for replacement steers at the Ballarat store cattle sale.

Commission and feedlots buyers were to the fore, having followed on from Mortlake the day before where they had competed on more than 6000 cattle. There were also agents operating from South Gippsland, North East Victoria and Swan Hill in the north of the state. Cattle did sell into three states.

The strength of the market was a relief to vendors like Phil Cocking, Ampitheatre, who opted to sell some steers as his hay reserves run low. He received $1750 for 10 Angus steers that weighed 459kg, realising 381c/kg liveweight,

“This has been a long way better than the market last month,’’ he said.

“I expected 320c or 330c so this has been a really good result. The market started off really well on the extra heavy steers and kept going.’’

Buyers acknowledged the market had been dearer than anticipated, but argued the cattle were of excellent breeding and in ideal store condition showing a lot of frame but no excess condition.

On paper the sale probably read dearer than what it felt at the auction, especially on the lighter calves. Steers that weighed 260kg often looked much bigger frame-wise.

Swan Hill agent Mat Rowlands, Elders, bought a load of light Angus steers at an average of 329c/kg for 246kg and said the upside still looked promising.

“You are not buying weight but frame and breeding, and I think you have to look at it and see we can double the weight of these calves and get weight gain and an improvement in c/kg rate when we sell them compared to the 329c we paid today,’’ he said.

In the heifer run, feedlots and meat processors were active on the lead pens with weight. The first part of the Daelroem Angus dispersal comprised grown but unjoined heifers – the lead pen of 30 at 519kg selling for $1780 (342c/kg) and were destined for feeding.