Wodonga store sale records ‘brighter’ prices

The 3000 cattle yarding reached prices above 434c/kg for light calves while heavier yearlings over 350kg sold to 410c/kg. See full report.

Anthony Nichol from Bethanga sold 32 Angus steers, 291kg for $1250 or 429c/kg at the Wodonga store cattle sale.

There was brighter element to Thursday’s store cattle market at Wodonga, with some modest price improvements recorded for the best Angus steers.

The 3000 cattle yarding hit a top rate of 434c/kg liveweight for light calves while heavier yearlings over 350kg sold to 410c/kg.

Selling agents said they were starting to sense a positive change in attitude as the extreme hot weather dissipated and some buyers began thinking about the autumn break and the impact an early rain could have on the market.

However, when overall price data from this sale was compared to a week ago there wasn’t a lot of change over the main steer and heifer categories, due in part to very mixed quality.

Every type of cattle and breed type was represented in the line-up, including crossbreds and plainer beef calves which did keep a cap on overall averages.

Corcoran Parker director Kevin Corcoran from Wodonga said after a tough few weeks the store market was just starting to show a bit more demand.

“It was certainly a bit brighter here today compared to the last few weeks when the store market everywhere was struggling in the extreme heat,” he said.

“There was still some good buying opportunities here on the weaners which didn’t have as much weight or polish, but the feature lines of cattle sold well.”

There was some stand-out lines of well-bred young Angus steers which lead the market at over 400c/kg.

Included in this was the Nichol family’s calves from Bethanga,, the lead pen of 32 Angus steers weighing 291kg selling for $1250 or 429c/kg; the second draft at 253kg making $1070 or 422c/kg.

The Nichol’s are a noted selling name at Wodonga, and Anthony Nichol said it was a good result although the market still hadn’t been able to recapture the strength shown in early January.

“We usually hold off and sell in February and in the last few years it has paid off but this year prices did soften after that early January burst,” he said.

“I think it has been a reasonably good sale here today as coming in we had hoped for around $1200 to $1300 and it got to $1250.”

Another noted line was Angus weaner steers from the Gadd family, The Glen Pastoral at Walwa. The pen of 29 calves, 10-11-months and weighing 390kg, sold for $1600 or 410c/kg. The adjoining pen of 23 at 341kg sold for $1400 to also match the 410c/kg.

Mike Gadd said they were calves they would have normally grown on and grass-finished in the spring for branded beef programs, but amid the tight season they had opted to sell some stock now to focus on younger calves coming through.

“We will have to start seriously feeding very shortly so we were happy to take that money today,” he said.

Mike Gadd, The Glen Pastoral at Walwa, solda pen of 29 steers, 10-11-months and weighing 390kg, for $1600 or 410c/kg at the Wodonga store cattle sale, due to the tight season.

At various times selling agents told the crowd that certain pens of cattle were only being sold due to water or feed shortages.

And it wasn’t all “beer and skittles” for vendors. Cows and calves had some tough results at $1500 to $1900 despite some reasonable and young outfits.

There was also little price change across the run of mixed breed calves and yearlings or coloured cattle, such Hereford or Euro-cross.

Buyers line the rails at the Wodonga store sale.

It is evidenced by the wide price spread across the steer categories, depending on breed and quality:

248 STEERS weighing 400-500kg sold from $900 to $1670 and averaged $1495, ranging from 211c/kg to 380c/kg to average 350c/kg;

371 STEERS weighing 330-400kg sold from $550 to $1600 and averaged $1321, ranging from 164c/kg to 410c/kg to average 366c/kg;

540 STEERS weighing 280-330kg sold from $430 to $1360 and averaged $1105, ranging from 136c/kg to 429c/kg to average 362c/kg; and

377 STEERS weighing 200-280kg sold from $340 to $1155 to average $862, ranging from 158c/kg to 434c/kg to average 345c/kg.

Buyers from the north remained the driver.