MEAT & Livestock Australia’s Brendan Fletcher observed a mixed affair at Thursday’s Leongatha Store Sale, heavy cattle and lightweight steers holding firm in price due to demand from feedlot and northern buyers respectively, while the remainder of the yarding sold up to $100 a head cheaper.
With a little over 3600 head available, Brendan labelled overall quality as “very good”, highlighting the more than 500 Angus steers over 400 kilos.
The Sentinel-Times saw 11 Toora Angus steers from L & M Fajerman, described by auctioneer Simon Henderson of Phelan & Henderson & Co. as a “lovely pen of feeders” and weighing an average 500 kilos go for $2200 a head at $4.40 per kilo.
A pen of 14 Angus steers from T & C Brown of Koonwarra, being Monaro bred and of Hazeldene blood, weighing an average 466 kilos, sold for $2180 each at the excellent return of $4.67 per kilo.
The same vendor also fared well with a pen of 17 Angus steers that averaged 513 kilos and went for $2340 a head at $4.56 a kilo.
Brian McCormack of Nutrien sold a pen of 15 Angus steers from P. McBeth of Fumina for $2600 each, working out to $4.24 per kilo for animals weighing an average weight of 612 kilos.
On the heifer side of the sale, Baillie Brothers of Tyers performed strongly, with its pens making between $4 and $4.26 per kilo, the 23 head that fetched the top price weighing an average of 497 kilos and selling for $2120 each.
Brendan of MLA spoke of the general demand for cattle that caught the eyes of feedlot buyers.
“Angus cattle over 350kg were keenly sought after by feedlots and this demand crept further into the black cattle of more questionable breeding,” he reported.
“The weaner offering was more mixed and there were fewer dairy cattle and their crosses.”
It was noted that coloured calves and yearlings largely sold to softer demand.