Day two of the Wodonga Blue Ribbon calf sales was a winner for independent agents Brian Unthank Rural (BUR), Paull&Scollard, Peter Ruaro-Rodwells and Schubert Boers (SB).
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Having second position, a larger and very good quality yarding of 4111 cattle, and more buyers, created a stronger sale in places.
Included in the larger yarding were numerous pens of good quality yearling steers that had two major buyers bidding.
MS&JM Merkel, Talgarno, offered the heaviest pen of steers, weighing 524kgs. These 11 steers sold for $1445, or 276c/kg lwt, while a pen of 12 Angus steers, 475kgs, offered by A Fraser, Yackandandah, sold for $1455, or 306c/kg lwt.
Sean McKenzie was a major buyer purchasing 300 of the heavy steers, going two ways for grain feeding.
His competition for steers 360-400kgs, combining with that of Harmony Farms, saw prices range from firm to $50 dearer than the previous day. Prices ranged from $1130-$1445, or 304-326c/kg.
CADC Investments, “Briley”, Jindera, sold 47 steers from $1290-$1445.
Numerous large drafts were penned, too many to quote, but some are worthy of note.
JA&ST Adams, “Mill Park”, Staghorn Flat, sold 138 steers from $1120-$1280, and JJ&JA Paterson, Tallangatta South, 121 steers from $1075-$1220.
Competition included several northern buyers, all making purchasers, Southern Riverina Livestock, a live shipping order, many local and district buyers, plus others already mentioned.
A few lines of EU accredited cattle were penned, but only one pen of heifers was kept in the system.
Quilter Nominees, “Belalie”, Narrandera, sold 134 steers from $1095-$1255.
Achieving the top price for 2017 drop steerswas D&D Sexton, “Villa”, Finley, selling steers, 429kgs, to $1320.
The middle run of steers, 320-360kgs lwt, sold to steady competition. M,B,K&P McPherson, Whorourly, sold 191 steers from $985-$1200.
Where this sale differed from the previous day, was the penning of more young, and lighter weight steers, which sold to very strong demand.
CR,B&T Sirl, Bethanga, sold 47 steers, 252-286kgs, from $985-$1010, which equaled 353-391c/kg lwt.
Brigalow Past Co, “The Brigalows”, Carinda, near Walgett NSW, offered 198 steers that had survived drought conditions. Owner, Michael O’Brien, said “we hve had six years of drought, and it was time to seek the right market to sell.
Mr O’Brien sent these calves on agistment, to capture the right market, and he admitted he picked a winner.
BUR agent, Gerald Ryan was instrumental here, and the the steers sold from $705-$950, or 368 to over 500c/kg.
The sale of heifers was strong with many selling from $870-$1065 for 2017 drop heifers, and the best yearling heifers, 24x458kgs, made $1260 for M&J Merkel, Talgarno.
CADC Investments sold 28 heifers to a breeder for $1255. MC Waters, “Korora”, Ournie, sold 50 heifers from $900-$1045, and Dundooga Past Co, 28 heifers from $945-$1040.
The penning of heifers was only a small percentage of the total yarding with numerous producers selling their heifers to the Chinese market, and more retaining heifers this year.
This saw mostly single pen,vendor lots offered. Quilter Nominees sold 31 EU accredited heifers for $905, or 339c/kg lwt.
Smaller the better, CR,B&T Smirl sold 45 heifers for $900&$905, the liveweight price peaked at 353c/kg.
A few pens of yearling heifers, tat sold from $940-$1040, equaled 272-300c/kg, a long way better than the last sale in December.
Tooma Station, Tooma, sold 29 heifers, 16-18 months, from $980-$1110, with the top pen equaling 322c/kg lwt.
Throughout the whole sale it was noted that numerous pens of steers and heifers had not been weaned, which made a difference for some, but not for other sales.
Processor competition was evident, but very few, if any, were purchased for slaughter, as the prices were deemed to be too high.
Overall, it was a strong, and dearer sale for a larger and good quality yarding.
