Summer weaner calf sales 2021: Price records smashed across Victoria

Average prices at the opening week of the iconic summer weaner calf sales have smashed records. Here’s all you need to know from the saleyards.

RECORDS have been smashed at Victoria’s famed new year weaner sales with buyers paying an average of more than 500c/kg liveweight for calves.

The astonishing prices stunned the livestock industry with the returns for breeders $400 to $600 a head higher than last season.

While producers expected sales to be strong, this week’s results exceeded all expectations.

Casterton breeder Ian Spratling said he had never seen prices like what he witnessed in the past few days, and while he hoped he would see it again “I don’t know if we ever will”.

As retired Elders Casterton agent Sim Flanders put it, not so long ago calves averaged only $500 per head, not 500c/kg. “This is history-making,” he said.

At Casterton yesterday the yarding of 2400 mostly Angus steers averaged 502c/kg or $1692 at an average weight of 336c/kg.

And at Wodonga yesterday, light calves weighing about 274kg made up to an astonishing 570c/kg. Heifers also made impressive returns, with one pen weighing 292kg making 509c/kg.

The 1818 weaners yarded averaged $1666 and grossed $3.03 million across the sale.

Wodonga’s four-day offering of weaners was dominated by northern buyers who came from as far as southern Queensland as agricultural permits allowed free movement across the border.

Feedlot support was also strong, with prices settling between 450-480c/kg.

Vendor Alan Mitchell said he had hoped for $1500 so the sale result of $1750-$1915 was “beyond expectations”.

At Hamilton on Monday, heavy Angus weaner steers sold to $2143 in a record breaking sale which averaged just shy of 500c/kg as bidding surged 20c to 30c higher than pre-Christmas rates. There 3634 Angus steer calves averaged $1744 at a remarkable average of 494c/kg liveweight, with prices for pens under 360kg often going above 500c/kg to a top of 554c/kg.

Mt Napier breeder Brett Linke said prices were “extraordinary”.

“We were not expecting over 500c/kg, not at all, absolutely not. The rain in the past couple of weeks has certainly put a lot of excitement through the industry,” Mr Linke said.

– With JENNY KELLY, FIONA MYERS, KATE DOWLER and PETRA OATES

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