Competition from feedlotters put more than a floor in the price at Kempsey Stock and Land’s annual steer and bullock sale on Thursday where a near record 2373 head went through the selling ring over an eight hour period.
Milk and two tooth feeder steers from 350kg to 450kg sold between 285 cents a kilogram and 302c/kg.
Dennis and Helen Mitchell, Nulla Creek on the upper Macleay, were awarded best pen of feeder steers, Santa/ Angus 377kg, which sold for 308.2c/kg or $1164 to Shamil Livestock, Urunga, where they will fatten on coastal Kikuyu. Another pen of the Mitchells’ Santa/ Angus sold for $1232 and a pen of their Angus went for $1128, to repeat buyer Macregor-Gourlay at Warialda where they will go on feed.
More than 160 head went to Warialda and the same again to Teys at Condamine.
Grafton commission buyer David Gillett led the charge, waving down more than 500 with a slight tip of his hat, going on feed through Landmark Toowoomba.
Online activity, offered for the second time at Kempsey through Elite Livestock Auctions, was also at near record for a store sale, thanks to the commission buyer on holiday, Eliezer Robinson from Coramba, who stayed with his family visiting the Gold Coast and reclined by the pool with coffee, then wine, pushing buttons on a laptop computer. He purchased 315 head, including a pen of black baldy steers, 438kg for 288c/kg or $1262, and Wagyu/ Angus, 361kg for 240c/kg or $868.
Heavy, four tooth to full mouth bullocks over 450kg topped at 294.2c/kg, with most sales from 260c/kg to 286c/kg.
Colin Howe, Gum Scrub on the Hastings, couldn’t boast of feed like some can on the lower Macleay but he sold to the top of the sale with a pen of Angus/ Hereford, 495kg, making 288c/kg or $1426. His milk and two tooth Hereford steers, 386kg went for 292c/kg or $1129 to repeat buyer Barry Kerr, Macksville.
Mr Kerr was also the repeat bidder on this year’s charity bull, a Santa at 710kg donated by Allan Prior, Bellimbopinni, which was knocked down for 280.2c/kg or $1988. Those funds are matched by the Kempsey Stock and Land with the total going to the Garvan Institute for cancer research.
Steve and Jaquie Brett, Figtree Farm at Kinchela sold four tooth black baldies, 535kg, to $1317 after buying them from the Kempsey saleyards 18 months ago.
Warren Clarke working for Rose Smythe, Aldavilla, sold two tooth Brangus, 467kg, for 296c/kg or $1383 going to Teys, Condamine. A pen of Santa/ Hereford, 431kg, made 296c/kg going to feed through Landmark Toowoomba. Mr Clarke said he was grossing twice the margin by buying yearlings 12 months ago and taking them to feeder weight, compared to the old system of fattening bullocks.
Jason Mainey, Clybucca, sold 10 Brahman cross steers, 402kg, for 290c/kg or $1400. He bought the steers at last year’s special sale for an average $800 and increased their weight on grass by 182kg, or 3.5kg a week.
Brian and Charlie Killmore bought a pen of Brangus from O’Connor and Norrie at Kendall, 550kg for 282c/kg or $1552 and will finish them on coastal Kikuyu at Kinchela before consigning them to Wingham Beef Exports, which in itself bought a number of pens on the day.
Seccombe and Kerin, Collombatti, sold milk tooth Charolais, 417kg for 290c/kg or $1211.
Lightweight milk tooth backgrounders and yearlings from 300kg to 350 kg topped at 304.2c/kg, with most sales between 280c/kg and 300c/kg, while weaner steers from 200kg to 300kg made up to 302.2c/kg, with most selling between 260c/kg and 288c/kg.
Aimee Nixon, “Fitzroy” at Kookaburra, sold Angus/ Hereford 340kg to 280c or $952.