Grafton store sale on Thursday yarded 994 head with steers to 400kg dominating the mix.
Prices in that category reached a top of $1144 and 292 cents a kilogram while averaging $606 or 250c/kg. At last month's store sale the same weight range of steers topped the market at $1043 and 280c/kg while averaging $549 or 214c/kg.
Cattle were sold to Victoria and Queensland, with some light weaners destined for a diet of pellets on the Darling Downs. A few cattle stayed local, but not many as frost and lack of rain have cruelled winter pasture. Trevor Winter, The Gorge, said he rode his motorbike over the river at the head of the falls and only wet half-way up the tyres when a meter would be more like it.
:LJ Adams, Southgate, sold the priciest steers, a pen of milk and two toothed Angus cross, 539kg, for $1544 going on feed through Landmark Toowoomba.
Mr Adams, in return, bought the valley's first run of AAA Speckle Park over Brahman/Hereford, 266kg, for 264c/kg or $704 produced by near neighbours Peter and Donna Drayton. The family's Charolais/F1, a more usual cross in this district, made 268c/kg for 290kg or $777.
Charlie Horton, Mylneford, sold Santa Gertrudis/Hereford, 286kg, for $784 at 274c/kg. His straight Hereford, 272kg, made 276c/kg - the same bid as his heavier black baldies, 291kg topping at $805.
Bruce Finlay, Kangaroo Creek, sold two tooth Charolais off grass, 402kg for 270c/kg or $1086.
Neil Rhodes, Chambigne, sold four tooth Simmental/Charbray, 402kg, for $1006 at 250c/kg. He also sold two tooth Devon, 316kg, for 232c/kg or $735.
Meanwhile, heifers to 540kg, 287 head this week, topped at $945 and 258c/kg with an average of $478 and 206c/kg. At last month's sale the same category topped at $965 and 218c/kg, averaging $418 and 178c/kg.
The best heifers were a run of the last Charolais out of stud cows from the Munns family, formerly Copmanhurst which had been on agistment at Dorrigo since April and presented in forward store condition making up to 246c/kg or $945 for 384kg. They were sent to Victoria for feeding ahead of processing.
Cows 400 to 520kg topped at $1050 and 227c/kg ($858 and 181c/kg in June), averaging $884 and 202c/kg ($682 and 149c/kg in June).
Dry cows reached a top of 227c/kg or $1050 for 462kg of flatback Brahman cross which went to Northern Co-operative Meat Company at Casino for processing.
Binderee Beef, Inverell, paid to 226c/kg or $1029 for similar, 455kg.
Cows and calves sold to $922 or 196c/kg, for Hereford with a Black Baldie
