Booming cattle prices continue in Leongatha

STEER prices leapt again at Thursday’s Store Sale, Tim Gibson of Alex Scott and Staff putting them at 20 to 30 cents better per kilo on feeders and up to $1 per kilo on smaller cattle compared to two weeks ago.

He remarked that the high prices are encouraging farmers to sell cattle earlier rather than keeping them over Winter.

Mr Gibson commented as the day’s second agency in action, Baw Baw Livestock, approached the end of its impressive run of steers.

Jayden Ferrari sold a number of pens of Angus steers for close to $6 a kilo for that agency, variously describing the animals as “rippers”, “a cracking group of calves”, and “good shaped calves”.

A pen of 13 Angus steers from Mitchell Valley Growers made $5.96 a kilo, weighed at 454 kilos and going for $2,710 each.

The “good shaped calves” of P. Viggers fetched $5.94 per kilo, the 12 Angus steers averaging 451 kilos and selling for $2,680 a head, with a pen of 14 Angus steers from RK & PD Roger Farms achieving the same per kilo price, weighed at 473 kilos and knocked down for $2,810 each.

Alex Scott and Staff auctioneer Neil Darby opened with a pen of 17 Angus steers from S. Moore of Drouin South, achieving $5.78 per kilo on animals averaging 555 kilos and selling for $3,210 a head.

That was followed by a few pens of R & C Tylee Angus steers, all of which performed strongly, with Australian Food & Agriculture snapping up those cattle, the highest per kilo price hitting $6 on 35 head weighed at 473 kilos that went for $2,840 each.

A couple of pens, each containing steers averaging 502 kilos made $5.93 a kilo at $2,980 a head.

Strong prices carried through to heifers, with Rohan McRae of Elders remarking on a very good run with weight and high quality breeding, feedlot buyers dominating on the heavier cattle while Northern orders and local competition drove up prices on lighter heifers.

Wayne Reid was among those Northern orders, sending heifers to Dubbo.

Alex Dixon of Elders said most weaner heifers were in the $5.12 to $5.44 per kilo bracket at between $1,600 and $1,900 each, while heifers in the 18 to 20 month age bracket achieved anywhere between $5.21 and $5.57 per kilo at $2,300 to $2,400 a head.

The latter category was dominated by feedlot purchases, while farmers and agents were active on the weaners.

Elders’ top pen of weaners, weighed at 343 kilos, made $5.77 a kilo at $1,980 a head, those cattle being Angus/Angus Hereford cross and vendor bred by John Davies of Foster.

Mr Dixon put heifer prices at 20 to 30 cents a kilo dearer than a fortnight ago regardless of weight.

He’s hopeful prices will stay strong but said it remains to be seen what the weather does over the rest of Winter.

“Our last 100 days have been very kind to farmers and our first month of Winter, it’s been very good, and some farmers are telling me it’s the best June they’ve ever had for grass growing,” Mr Dixon said, noting that the shortest day of the year hit 19 degrees.