CASINO weaner market set a new high late last week during two days of heavy bidding from buyers impressed with the rising quality on offer.
The 41st annual George and Furhmann sale saw 1821 head of heavy European weaners on day two of the three day sale sell to an average of $1020 with strong support from Queensland and Tablelands buyers as well as Victoria and South Australia.
Steers averaged $1037 and 306kg, with a pen of eight off Paul Boland’s East Coraki property, selling to $1454, or 359.2 cents/kg, with a stout weight of 425kg.
Heifers averaged $813 with top priced pen of nine supplied by Geoff and Vicki Love, Murwillumbah, selling to $819 or 296 cents/kg weighing 282kg.
Day three of the George and Furhmann annual weaner sale at Casino saw record bidding for Santa cross heifers top at $1244 while steers hit $1439 as 1700 head went under the hammer.
The vast majority of heifers were returned to the paddock, said George and Furhmann’s Darren Perkins.
The best season in living memory for John and Maree Smith, ‘Glenayre’ Woodenbong, combined with a range of fluid market factors to produce their champion pen of 20 Santa/Hereford steers, which sold to 382 cents/kg to make $1407, averaging 368kg.
“We have never wanted for rain,” said Mr Smith.
Buyer Michael MacCue, ‘Wilga' Bellata was particularly interested in the Smith family progeny, including that from John’s brother Jim and his wife Jan, ‘Townview Pastoral; Company’ along with their son Jamie and his wife Vanessa, because some of the bulls used to produce them came off his family’s property in the first place.
Inverell buyer Bob Jamieson indicated that backgrounding cattle were in higher demand now that commodity grain prices had slumped and more crop producers were turning their back on winter wheat and barley and planned to plant oats this season with an eye on cattle to make that crop profitable.
Mr Jamieson walked away with 1000 head of ‘phenomenal cattle’ for a variety of customers to be used for backgrounding and feedlotting purposes.
“You don’t see weight for age at this quality anywhere,” he said.
“I’m happy with the quality and the price. I would have taken twice as many if they were there. The quality here is exceptional. The weight’s a bonus. It’s in the breeding and the management.”
Brodie Bud ‘Cooaga’ Wandoan, bought a number of cattle for his own backgrounding purposes for eventual feedlotting.
George and Furhmann’s Darren Perkins said this year’s annual sale was the best in the four-decades the company has been in business and he was impressed with the lift in producer quality within only the past four years.
Paul Furhmann and family, Mummulgum, won top accolades on the second day of trading and were awarded champion pen as well as champion pen of Charolais steers and a top price of 359.2 cents for their weaners out of Santa cross cows by an Andrew and Norah Cass Charolais Bull.
Peter Hannigan and family, Numulgi, were awarded top pen of EU steers on the sale’s second day and received second best price for a pen of black weaners out of Angus and Black Baldy females by black and red Limousin bulls supplied by Pete McCallum of Scone and Grant Sheddon of Casino.
Northern rivers a heifer factory
INVERELL agent Bob Jamieson found the Northern Rivers weaners on offer at Casino last week a little too heavy for the backgrounding market but was so impressed by the genetic quality that he dominated trade.
He compared Casino to the record result at Jeogla in mid-February when 1700 head averaged $1445. While Casino didn’t match that average Mr Jamieson pointed out that the cattle on offer at Jeogla near Armidale were older by half.
“I’ve never seen a sale like this one at Casino,” he said. “It was perfect for us.”
Mr Jamieson and Michael MacCue, Bellata, were particularly interested in Santa/Hereford which were a proven cross that piled on weight in the feedlot. He said the heavy weaners, some weighing close to 400kg, would go on grass for 60 days then grain for twice as long in the feedlot.
