Yea store cattle sale: stronger-than-expected prices across 1700-head yarding

A different set of buyers kept store cattle prices alive during a 1700-strong yarding at Yea. See the full sale details here.

Bryan Leahy of Glenlyon Pastoral, sold a feature line of yearling Angus steers at $1250 and $1090, at up to 335c/kg liveweight, as heavier cattle with frame benefited from South Gippsland buyers wanting suitable bullock replacements at Yea on Friday.

A different set of buyers kept cattle prices alive at Yea on Friday, with the market not as difficult as anticipated although there was still depressed spots for secondary animals.

Regular feedlot and northern commission buyers such as Duncan Brown and Campbell Ross were no shows for the 1700-head yarding, causing some angst pre-sale.

However agents from South Gippsland through to the North East and Shepparton regions stepped in and kept prices firm to arguably a shade dearer than recent markets.

Heavy pens of steers in the opening laneway sold to $1510 with most of the Angus weighing more than 400kg comfortably trending above 300c/kg liveweight.

The $1510 price was for 12 Angus from Millewa Farms which had a displayed weight of 458kg, representing 329c/kg. Other notable sales included 15 Angus at 422kg which made $1420 or 336c/kg, and 19 Herefords at 382kg selling for $1290 or 337c/kg.

The opening laneway of heavier steers sold to the best demand, supported by South Gippsland agencies wanting steers with frame and weight to replace recently sold bullocks.

Price outcomes in the weaner steers were more varied around weight and breed. There was some slow spots in the auction for the lead of the younger cattle that weighed above 300kg, their prices often not that far ahead of the lighter types which benefited from dollars-per-head buying.

There was also some buyer reluctance evident for anything that wasn’t straight black, with lots like black baldy or Black Simmental selling at reduced rates to Angus. It meant there were young steers that sold from 290c/kg to more than 330c/kg for lines of lighter Angus calves.

To illustrate these points 20 Black Simmental-Angus steers that weighed 355kg sold for $1050 or 298c/kg liveweight. The pen alongside with 27 Angus weighing 305kg made $950 or 311c/kg.

Danie Uys from Marysville sold 17 Angus steers at 297kg for $970 or 326c/kg liveweight.

Deeper into the sale much lighter steer calves consistently made $700 to $880 per head, local agents advising this was the money most local traders were comfortable spending.

A line of 34 Angus steers from KP Ryan, described as 10-12-months and weighing 255kg, made $850 or 333c/kg liveweight.

Overall, most steer calves were working out between 300c to 335c/kg liveweight.

The heifer market was also solid, underpinned by a few feeder orders. The opening pen of 14 Angus heifers from The Lily Pastoral at Yarck sold for $1210 on a weight of 447kg (270c/kg) to an on-farm feeder at Undera.

Most of the better-style heifers sold either side of 250c/kg liveweight, or $600 to $900 for calves weighing more than 240kg.

Local selling agent Jamie Quinlan from Elders Yea said while it wasn’t a joyous market at least prices hadn’t faltered any further.

“It has certainly been stronger than we expected,’’ he said.

“Us agents thought it might have been $100 to $150 cheaper than it was. It’s a very different buying field to what we usually have at Yea with no Duncan and Campbell Ross (commission buyers). But local agents and feeders have come in and swallowed up the numbers.”