Prices at Friday’s Kempsey steer, bullock and weaner sale were firm on the week before with demand from feedlotters and abattoirs creating a bouyant outlook for producers in 2017.
More than 1600 head were offered. Heavy bullocks 600kg and over topped at 304c/kg for a top price of $2400; six tooth steers over 450kg topped at 326c, four tooth steers over 450kg sold to 330c. Heavy milk and two tooth feeder steers between 350-450kg made to a top of 366c, lighter feeder steers from 280-350kg sold to 384c/kg. Weaner steers from 150-280kg sold to a top of 494c/kg. Heavy bullocks made up to $1900 while light weaners sold to 438c/kg.
A pen of 18 Angus cross champion feeder steers awarded a trophy at the sale averaged 383kg and fetched 362c/kg to realise $1390, with Sean and Jody Gleeson, ‘Bumore’ Johns River saying they were hoping for just such an outcome, after a tough spring.
Their second-placed weaner steers, also Angus cross, topped at 412c/kg to realise $898 while a second pen of heavier weaners, 298kg, made 366c/kg to realise $1094.
The pen of champion weaners, 16 Charolais eight to ten months old and weighing 290kg, awarded to Ross Kelsey, Bowraville, were snapped up by Colin Say Glen Innes for 368c/kg to make $1067.
Ron and Susan Clarke were well pleased with the price for their 10 month old weaner steers off drought resistant country at Clybucca weighing 282kg fetching 384c/kg to make $1082.
Warren and Gail Avery, Gum Scrub via Wauchope sold two-tooth Angus cross steers, 478kg, for 340c/kg to make $1625.
Max and Jason Winslow, Bowraville, sold a pen of Angus steers for 348c/kg to make $1517 and a pen of Charolais for 350c/kg to make $1417.
A pen of weaner Droughtmasters 302kg, from Keith Morn, Clybucca, sold for 370c/kg to make $1119.
A pen of 14 Brahman, 423kg, made 344c/kg to return $1459 which put smiles on the faces of Harry, Jason and Greg Mainey, Clybucca, who bought the same steers at this sale last year for $700 and fed them on kikuyu, paspalum and a bit of winter rye and silage.
Troy and Mirasol Irwin, Verges Creek, sold three quiet Brahman cross steers, six-tooth, 578kg for 270c/kg to make $1561.
Volume buyer of the sale was Eliezer Robinson, Coramba, who sent 387 head to Mort and Co’s Grassdale feedlot.
“These sales are what we look for,” he said after along day. “This has been a good opening for the year. Cattle sold well in a solid market and the quality has been above excellent.”
More than $8000 was raised for cancer and stroke research.