Numbers were back at Grafton’s first store sale of the year, with 740 head yarded and averages down on the December sale, as demand from feedlotters curtailed sharply from the previous week. Local buyers from the lower river took most of the cattle home but there was interest also from the Tablelands, Dorrigo, Tamworth and Inverell.
Parts of Clarence Valley were blessed with a drenching in December but things are drying off quickly and upper river cattle looked hungry.
Steers to 400 kilograms, 386 head, averaged 250.7 cents a kilogram or $683, reaching a top of 298.2c/kg, for Angus, 350kg, produced by Ron Connor, Coldstream, from a Coolarmagh bull, and going to Harold Pettit “Avalon”, Pinkett via Glen Innes.
At the December sale steers of this weight averaged 265.8c/kg or $737,
Harrington Beef, Swan Creek via Ulmarra were in the market for Angus and Angus cross, paying up to 294c/kg or $938 for steers 318kg while Pinkett’s Mr Petit paid 298c/kg or $1043 for Angus 350kg.
The Department of Primary Industries helped lift prices while buying cattle for a sorghum feed trial currently underway at the Trenayre research station, paying 260c/kg for two tooth Brahman cross steers, 325kg and 252c/kg or $1231 for Brangus 488kg.
Bullocks sold to $1417 for two tooth Angus, 590kg at 240 cents a kilogram, produced by Ron Bultitude and sold for finishing to George Hardacre, Central Bucca. Grown steers 400 to 500kg averaged 252c/kg or $1100 whereas last month they averaged 266.7c//kg or $1174.
Bellingen finisher Gus Raymond was back in the buying business after taking a grazing block off the real estate market. Production will return with the help of a pen of two tooth Senepol, 513kg, which he bought for 256c/kg or $1315 from the Mifsud family, Southgate, who originally purchased the Nymboida-born steers at the Grafton saleyards 16 months ago when they weighed 280kg.
Heifers to 540kg averaged 202c/kg or $539 much the same as last month at 207c/kg and $538.
Four and two tooth Angus, blue tagged to a Charolais bull, 460kg, sold to $1120, bought by Darryl and Leanne Chapman family Whitemans’ Creek who are enjoying a decent season after December rain and required cattle to fill a new leasehold.
George Hardacre, Upper Bucca, bought milk tooth Brahman cross heifers for $880.
Some of the plainer cattle were discounted and others picked up a bargain, going to better country at Baryulgil, Glen Innes and Ulmarra. Rob Hill, Pillar Valley, bought his first cows and calves paying $1000 for Angus.
John Stokes, Ulmarra, bought a three-way package, Angus, for $1220 as did Jason Williams, Warwick, who has bought a block near Copmanhurst and was seeking to stock paddocks.
The sale was hosted by Farrell McCrohon and Ray Donovan agencies, Grafton.