Rain, high quality cattle and booming exports drive Leongatha Store Sale

THERE was a big lift in the market at Thursday’s Leongatha Store Sale, with Simon Henderson of Phelan & Henderson & Co putting that at $100 to $150 dearer per head across the board for well-bred steers.

A pen of Angus weaner steers from Mark and Melissa Schellekens’ M&M Cattle Co in Powlett River achieved the sale’s top price of $6.57 a kilo, the pen of 18 weighed at 324 kilos and selling for $2,130 a head, those cattle part of a draft that sold very strongly.

SEJ auctioneer Jimmy Kyle told Stock & Land the run of weaners that made $6 to $6.57 a kilo sold well above expectations.

Speaking to the Sentinel-Times, Mr Henderson elaborated on the healthy state of the market overall.

“We’ve had a bit of rain, the grass has grown, things are looking good and the export job’s enormous,” he said, with all that leading to greater confidence and stronger prices.

During the sale, Mr Henderson labelled 14 Angus steers from Sam Smith Media in Whitelaw as “the best pen in the yard,” those cattle bought by Jack Ginnane of Nutrien SGL for $3,140 a head, weighed at 581 kilos and equating to $5.40 a kilo.

“There was a draft of 41 of those cattle that were as good as any Angus cattle you’d see,” Mr Henderson said of the animals featuring Murdeduke blood.

A pen of 13 of those steers averaging 577 kilos went for $3,070 a head at $5.32 a kilo, while the remaining 14 Sam Smith Media steers that weighed in at a slightly lighter 561 kilos achieved the same per kilo figure at $2,990 each.

Mr Henderson sold 22 Angus steers with Dunoon blood that averaged 486 kilos and achieved $5.57 per kilo at $2,710 a head, those cattle being from King Kongwak in Kongwak.

SEJ’s Mr Kyle made $6.24 a kilo on a pen of 20 Angus calves from Malabar Farm in Tarwin Lower, those animals weighed at 250 kilos and going for $1,560 each, having been sired by Weeran Bulls, and Never Ever Accredited.

Prior to that, he sold eight heavy steers from Comeragh in Leongatha North for $3,400 a head, with that coming to $5.15 per kilo at an average weight of 659 kilos.

A pen of 11 Calderlea Angus steers from Meeniyan with Alpine Angus blood and Never Ever Accredited averaged at 576 kilos and fetched $3,180 a head at $5.52 per kilo.

MLA market reporter Brendan Fletcher described prices as very good when asked early in the sale, and that was reflected in his post-sale report, with quality proving decisive.

“Quality was excellent in the yearling and grown cattle (categories), with more than 800 steers exceeding 400 kilos and 700 of those in the yearling class; the weaner offering was more limited, with fewer numbers and more colour,” Mr Fletcher reported.

He said weaner cattle sold for $50 to $150 a head dearer, while yearling heifers lifted $50 to $80 a head.

The top of the weaner heifers made $1,900 a head for 28 Angus weighed at 372 kilos, equating to $5.11 per kilo, Mr Fletcher reported, noting the top of the yearling heifers were knocked down for $2,400 each, those five Angus cattle weighed at 492 kilos and achieving $4.88 a kilo.

Jake Anthony of Phelan & Henderson & Co sold a pen of 10 Angus heifers for his father, expecting the 428 kilo cattle would likely make $1,900 a head but getting $2,100 each, a return of $4.90 per kilo, with Mr Anthony attributing increased demand to rain up North.

“The heavier end were easily $4.90 to $5 a kilo he said of heifer sales in general, with Phelan & Henderson & Co having only one pen of heifers, referring to animals 380 kilos and upwards, but mostly over 400 kilos.