CATTLE were slightly dearer at Tamworth on Friday, in a small yarding for the fortnightly store sale.
The 1800-head yarding of mostly good quality cattle came from a wide area, with cattle from Nevertire, Dunedoo, Wellington, Bulahdelah, Moree, Bellata, Tamworth, Quirindi and Manilla,
Elders Tamworth agent Nathan McConnell said all young cattle were dearer than at the previous sale, with the best quality about $40 to $50 a head dearer, while those plainer in quality and condition were about $10 to $20 dearer.
Demand came from restockers at Walcha, Tamworth and in the Hunter Valley, with most of the young cattle heading to oats crops.
“It was a bit dearer, but it was a better quality yarding, as well as being a small yarding,” Mr McConnell said.
Lightweight weaner steers weighing from 180 kilograms to 210kg and sold from $650 to $720, middleweight weaners weighing between 220kg and 260kg ranged from $700 to $850, and heavy weaner steers ranging from 270kg to 300kg to made between $900 to $1140 for European Union-accredited yard weaned Hereford steers from Nevertire.
Among the large lines were Talooby-blood Angus steers from Dellawong Partnership, Wellington, which topped at $1090 and averaged $950.
Angus-cross steers from the McDonald family, Niangala, made $1090 Hereford steers from the Pagan family, Moree, sold for $990, and a line of Angus weaner steers from Nerong Park, Bulahdelah, topped at $950.
Yearling steers reached $1250 for Angus-cross steers.
In the heifers, the lightweight weaners ranged from $550 to $600, middleweight weaner heifers sold from $650 to $750 and heavy heifers made between $800 and $890, with Dellawong having the best pen of heifers.
Ten- to 12-month-old Santa Gertrudis/Hereford and Angus-cross heifers from Warren Rural Pty Ltd, Quambone, reached a top price of $875.
Only a small number of breeding units were sold, with the 100 cows with calves reaching a top of $2100 for Angus cows with Charolais-cross calves up to four months of age.
Pregnancy-tested-in-calf cows topped at $1580, down from a high of $1750 at the previous sale, for Angus cows from Michael Brogan.
Mr Brogan had purchased the heifers as breeding units earlier this year in the Hunter Valley for $1200 a unit, and sold the calves a month ago for $1200.
Breck and Margot Johnston, “GlenBarra”, Manilla, sold mixed age Angus and crossbred cows, in calf to Bald Blair and Glenavon bulls for $1400.
PTIC heifers reached $1510, down from a top of $1775 at the previous sale, for Angus heifers in calf to low birthweight bulls from Niangala.
Mr McConnell said he expected the market to remain firm due to the seasonal conditions.
“Until we get some rain, it’ll continue to be steady,” he said.
“But once we get rain, that’ll be when we get really strong demand from restockers.
“We’ve still got local oat crops with plenty of feed.”
Ruth Schwager
Ruth Schwager is a journalist with the national agricultural features team.
Ruth Schwager is a journalist with the national agricultural features team.
