DEMAND was strong and prices matched the best at Kempsey store sale on Thursday, July 7 with 1825 mostly young cattle yarded for a marathon auction that started 8am and finished at half past five.
The better pens of Angus cross Weaner steers 200-250kg made 350-384 cents per kilo, lighter steers of the same made 416 cents.
Angus and Angus cross heifers 250-280 kg made 326 cents, with heifers of the same breed 200-250kg making 332 cents. Those under 200kg topped 354c
The top priced pen of nine Angus steers weighing just 130kg brought a remarkable 416 cents going to volume buyer John Cummins.
Lower river grazier Ross McManus’, who cut his teeth in the game much further upriver, sold two Simmental cross butchers’ calves, 352kg, to 334 cents.
Charolais cross steers to 200kg brought 364 cents.
Santa cross steers the same weight brought 350 cents.
Cows were a fraction easier and quality a notch back according to Kempsey Stock and Land agent Ian McGoldrick with the best making 264 cents to top $1755. Light store cows made 230-240 cents.
Transplanted Territorian Andrew Blackadder bought more than 50 Angus weaner steers to restock country at Gum Scrub.
Dorrigo buyer Colin Paix, Elders, said the sale presented a good yarding and he had purchased good lines of background feeders for Killara feedlot.
“Prices are on par with the market,” he said. “And these Macleay Valley cattle do well when out on the feed as they exhibit compensatory growth.”