Prices holding up for high-quality cattle

THERE were around 2269 head of cattle at last Friday’s Koonwarra store sale, with high-quality animals attracting good prices for mid-winter.

Strzelecki’s Rob Jackson was happy with the price his pen of 16 Angus yearling steers attracted, sold for $2490 each by Elders branch manager and auctioneer Rohan McRae.

Rob and wife Clare bred and reared the cattle.

Elders livestock agent Alex Dixon was also pleased with the mid-winter price for Rob’s steers, pointing to the importance of the animals’ high quality.
“They’re pedigree Angus, well-bred and well managed,” Alex said.

“There are no setbacks with Rob and Clare’s cattle because they feed them well.”

Rohan said that while prices have dropped a little and buyers are more selective at this time of year, better bred, heavier cattle are still doing well, being popular with feedlot operators.

A pen of 14 Hereford steers, weighing in at an average 601 kilos, from C Hasthorpe of Tanjil South sold for $3000 each, about $5 per kilo, with senior auctioneer Jason Fry of Alex Scott and Staff in charge of proceedings.

“We had a line of EU accredited steers, six pens of those, roughly 20 a pen,” Jason said.

The top price for those steers on a per kilo basis came in at around $6.20, with 460 kilo cattle hitting the $2800 mark.

Jason backed the general sentiment that high-quality cattle are still attracting healthy prices.

“This time of year it’s wet and cold of course, but your better lines of cattle and those that have a bit of detail about them are still holding up,” Jason said.

“You get to your plainer cattle and cross-bred cattle and the price falls away.”

While overall cattle numbers in Koonwarra were down considerably on what they were a few weeks ago, Glenys Shandley of Nerrena was impressed with the quality available.
She was looking to purchase Poll Hereford steers.

“There are beautiful cattle here,” Glenys said, noting their breeding, size and condition as positives.

Glenys feels prices are currently pretty good and was keen to build on her cattle numbers.

“It’s been such a good season with plenty of grass, and I don’t want to waste it,” she said.