Gunnedah weaners to $758

The 3500-head yarding from the North West and Upper Hunter regions was much smaller than the expected 4500 for the eighth annual sale as wet weather made it difficult for some cattle to be brought to market.

While weaner weights were down 50 kilograms to 60kg on last year, the market was above expectations, fetching as much as 232 cents a kilogram for steers weighing less than 200kg.

Davidson Cameron and Company agent Luke Scicluna, Gunnedah, said prices per kilogram were very comparable to the best of the weaner markets so far, but unfortunately the calves were much lighter.

Although the cattle were sold in cents a kilogram, the top steer calves returned $758 a head according to the National Livestock Reporting Service.

The sale attracted mainly repeat buyers, many of them from southern NSW as well as Queensland and Victoria.

Large numbers of cattle were sold to Coonamble, Bathurst, Carcoar and Merriwa.

One major buyer bought 760 steers to send to a backgrounding operation at Coonamble.

The widespread heavy rainfalls across the North West boosted buyer confidence and local restockers made up 20 per cent of the buyers.

"This is the first widespread rain we've seen for 14 or 15 months," Mr Scicluna said.

"There are plenty of people busy putting oats in and I think the market will firm up, not only the restocker market, but also the prime market.

"Once we start to get some consistent rain there will going to be less and less good quality weaners around."

Steers weighed 130kg to 380kg and most tipped the scales at between 200kg and 260kg.

Weaner steers weighing less than 200kg ranged from 200c/kg to 230c/kg, while steers from 250kg to 300kg sold from 192c/kg to 226c/kg.

Heavier steers weighing more than 300kg made 190c/kg to 216c/kg.

In the heifer yarding, lightweight weaner heifers ranged from 140c/kg to 170c/kg, middleweights sold from 150c/kg to 199c/kg, and heavier heifers ranged from 170c/kg to 191c/kg.

Vendors were happy with the results, many of them repeat sellers.

Among the better performing cattle were 137 steers owned by Ed Simson, "The Plantation", Premer, which sold to a top of 216c/kg and made an overall average of $442/head.

Anthony and Helen Ferris, "Abergeldie", Barraba, had some of the bigger weaner steers for sale.

Weighing an average of 383kg, the pen of seven Charolais-cross made 198c/kg for $759/head.

John Deokoyer, "Redlands", Walla-badah, sold 300 head. His top pen of 15 steers sold for 216c/kg to Landmark Dubbo for a Coonamble client.

Coonabarabran vendor Geoff Scicluna, "Graylene", sold 24 steers for a top of 216c/kg, making an average of $634/head.

The Gunnedah sale reached its peak two years ago with 5600 head, but it could take a few good seasons to make those numbers again.

Mr Scicluna said the past few weeks' rainfall would ease the pressure on local cattle farmers, but more was needed.

"Some of the regular calves couldn't make the sale this year. They were sold earlier because people couldn't keep them," he said.

"A lot of our clients who had cattle in the sale are feeding at the moment but hopefully the rain will allow that to change."