WHAT a difference some rain makes for store cattle sales and values especially for younger cattle which firmed up at Friday’s Dubbo fixture.
Scattered showers throughout the north of the state plus rain in Queensland pressured prime cattle buyers to move to Dubbo sales last Thuirsday to supplement processing demands pushing up values 24 hours prior.
According to selling agents, the higher price trend followed on to the store sale.
Landmark Milling Thomas agent, Peter Thomas, said weaner steer and heifer prices were solid, especially the bigger lines.
“It was nice to see a lift in values for vendors,” Mr Thomas said.
Martin Simmons, Elders, Dubbo, said quality lines sold extraordinarily well.
“Although no rain locally, rain elsewhere gave everything a boost and generated more interest,” he said.
PT Lord Dakin’s Paul Dakin, said there was a lot more interest shown by tablelands graziers.
“There was a presence from southern and central tablelands buyers, which we haven’t seen so far this year,” he said.
“People were paying money for smaller cattle, looking to limit their exposure and taking numbers rather than size today.”
The Poole family, “Delawong”, Wellington, sold 260 mixed-age Angus weaner steers and heifers, eight to 10 months, with steers topping the sale at $1015 and the best heifers to $810 with the consignment averaging $811.
Peter Pether, “Omeo”, Goolma, sold 40 Angus steer weaners to $940 and 20 heifers to $745 while Romiani Partnership, “Romani”, Bourke, sold 100 Charolais/Red Angus cross weaners to $945 for steers.
Curry Brothers, “Canobolas View”, Molong, cleared 87 mixed-sex Angus weaners with steers topping at $905 to average $840 and heifers to $720 averaging $640. Sharwood family, “Wingbee”, Mudgee, sold 91 mixed-sex steers and heifers, five to six months, with steers topping at $780 and heifers to $630.
Australian Food and Agriculture, Wingadee Station, Coonamble, sold two to four year-old dry cows (calves just weaned) to $900 each in a dry time.
Messinnes Pastoral Company, Warren, sold 190 mixed-sex weaners, six to nine months, with the top Santa Gertrudis and Santa/Hereford steers weighing 240 to 250 kilograms making $858 with heifers 180 to 200kg topping at $590 and $505 respectively.
Jim O’Connor, “Milpa”, Broken Hill, sold 216 weaner Droughtmaster/Hereford cross weaner steers, four to six months, to $600 and heifers to $570 most going to the Sir Ivan fire area near Dunedoo.
John Abbott, Dunedoo, topped the female section at $1800 each for two Limousin cows with calves at foot, while the Denn family, “Wilbertree”, Dubbo, sold 16 Angus mixed-age cows with calves at $1380 plus 48 PTIC Angus cows to $1250 averaging $1121.
Garry Caton, “Hillside”, Eumungerie, sold seven Angus cows the calves at foot at $1290 a unit.
Budda Station Pastoral Company, Tilpa, sold 35 Santa/Droughtmaster and Santa/Angus-cross cows two to six years with Charolais calves at foot topping at $1280 while PTIC cows made $740.