More than 1300 head were yarded for Inverell’s first store sale of the year, with prices for the best light steers well supported considering the season.
Volume buyers from the lower Hunter, Mudgee and Roma set the pace, with new season, early-weaned steers to 200kg, 450 head, averaging 287.9 cents a kilogram, or $493 and reaching a top of 340c/kg or $603.
Wybong Pastoral, Graman, offloaded 440 light Angus steers and heifers with Texas blood off cows brought up from the Hunter during the height of the dry and which are now running low on feed in the north.
Prices for their quality steers, 180-240kg, made made from 280-340c/kg with the tops bought back by Wybong assistant manager Luke Nicholle for his in-law’s Pine Point Pastoral, Cherry Tree Hill, Inverell. Cliff Richardson, commission buyer for Elders Roma was the underbidder.
Kelvin and Lynda Ludlow, Bald Knob via Glen Innes sold Angus with a splash of Limousin, 264kg for 282c/kg to make $744.
Recent storm rain has filled some of their dams but the “grass is still crackling” under their feet. While prices were certainly up on recent sales, Mr Ludlow was disappointed when he compared them with last year’s similar steers, 275kg, which made $1025.
Heifers to 200kg averaged 198c/kg and topped at 239c/kg, up 20-40c/kg on the previous fat sale, according to CL Squires agent Tom Oakes. Heifers 200-300kg averaged 180c/kg and topped at 212c/kg, also making 10-30c/kg more than Tuesday’s fats.
Of Wybong Pastoral’s 115 heifers, 180-220kg, they made 210-240c/kg.
“We normally keep our cull heifers and grow them out to 400kg for the feeder market,” said Mr Nicolle.
Cows and calves made to $1540 for Hereford/ CharolaisCharolais from Davis Brian, “Oregon” Warialda, going to John and Dianna Presnell, Ben Lomand through Lehman Stock and Property.
“There were some really good prices,” said Ben Lehman. “It’s hard to say why but it’s likely the processors and feedlotters are very nervous.”
Many buyers were thwarted on the day, with Ashley Coleman, Inverell, describing prices at one point as “off the planet”.
“I’ll hold back and wait for the dust to settle,” she said. “There’s been some storms around lately and that might have contributed to the optimism. We were short of water until last Sunday and now some of our dams are full.”
Mudgee livestock agent Chris Schmidt , came away with 120 steers, including black calves and the tail end of the cross-breds from Wybong Pastoral. Mr Schmidt said these cattle, destined for backgrounding, would go to clients mainly to the east of his district where storm rain has dumped 200mm on certain places.
The sale was conducted by combined Inverell agents.
