Whiteface in demand at sales in the south

Herefords Australia chief executive officer John McKew, Armidale, said the prices received for Hereford and Hereford-cross weaners at this year's weaner sales, particularly at Hamilton, Victoria, on January 8 and 9, reinforced what it was about Herefords that made the breed a significant contributor to a beef producer's profitable bottom line.

"Despite the fashionable trend to move into black cattle by many producers, there is no evading the truth that Hereford feed conversion, weight gain, temperament and resilience under difficult conditions - which unfortunately are too widespread at the moment - is as good as and in many cases better than any other breed," he said.

"I think a number of beef producers have lost sight of many of the important factors in profitable beef production, and coat colour isn't one of them."

Hamilton independent agents yarded about 1800 head at their feature Hereford steer sale, which topped at 215 cents a kilogram.

Feature lines of steers sold between 195c/kg to 215c/kg.

The top pen was 94 Hereford steers offered by Paul and Carolyn Malseed, "Orana", Breakaway Creek, Vic, weighing 315 kilograms and making $677 a head to Paul Mason, New Oakleigh Farm, Wellington.

Kerr and Company livestock manager and auctioneer Craig Pertzel said this year's sale was slightly dearer than last year's, where steers sold to a top of 200c/kg.

"This was a trend across the market, all of the sales were up about 10 to 15c/kg on last year," he said.

"The Herefords were popular with feeder buyers, anybody looking to grow out cattle to bullocks."

Thanks to the dry season, the Hamilton sales had very little competition from the northern buyers who usually pick up the lighter calves.

Most of the support came from producers from the Gippsland region, south-east South Australia and the local area.

It was a similar story at Hamilton's feature Hereford heifer sale the following week, where select lines of young females sold from 180c/kg to a top of 206c/kg, while the main run of females ranged from 150c/kg to 165c/kg.

At Hamilton's Elders and Landmark conducted weaner sales, Herefords and their crosses were attracting plenty of competition "as long as the breeding was right", according to Elders Hamilton livestock manager Aaron Malseed.

"A lot of the Hereford cattle went to repeat buyers, with the steers going to the European Union-accredited bullock trade and heifers bought by restockers," he said.

"The presentation of the cattle was excellent - we had a tough autumn but a cracking spring.

"Our top pen of black baldy steers sold for 191c/kg and the top purebred Hereford steers were 208c/kg."

At the nearby selling centre of Casterton, Vic, the sale held on Tuesday, January 7, conducted by local agency JP Darcy Livestock and Property, Hereford weaners met strong demand, with the majority of the Hereford yarding going to feedlots in Tasmania and Victoria.

At Landmark's Casterton sale the following day, Tasmania's King Island-based buyer Ian Lester continued his support of the Casterton sales, snapping up five pens of the best-quality Herefords to the sale high of 185c/kg, averaging 176c/kg.

At Wodonga, Vic, a mob of 48 Hereford weaner steers offered by Neil and Trevor Ralston, "Hollywood", Euroa, topped the two days of independent agents sales, with one pen of 20 head selling for 200c/kg and the balance of the mob reaching 206c/kg.