THE 10th annual Nutrien Classic store cattle sale drew a massive crowd to the Tamworth saleyards on Wednesday as 4845 head went up for sale.
Prices were strong across most categories but pregnancy-tested cows (PTIC) delivered some of the more consistent performances, reaching a top of $3220/hd, which was purchased by Nutrien Tamworth.
The 1250 head of PTIC heifers offered at the sale ranged from 450kg to 580kg and sold for between $2000/hd and $3220/hd to average $2650/hd.
Nutrien stock agent Scott Simshauser said the feature line of 75 PTIC Angus heifers out of The Lakes, Barraba topped the PTIC market at the sale.
"It would be one of the first times our feature line at this sale has been the PTIC heifers and cows," Mr Simshauser said.
"The competition for that feature line was really quite hot because I think people really saw the opportunities."
Steers were another top performing category at the sale, with 750 weaner steers, ranging from 150kg to 250kg attracting between $1100/hd and $1545/hd to average $1380/hd, while 700 yearling steers between 330kg and 461kg sold between $1500/hd and $2169/hd to average $1780, which Mr Simshauser said wasn't surprising.
"We saw a lot of pens go for more than 500 cents a kilogram and there was a select few pens that passed the 550 c/kg mark," he said.
"There were premiums there today [Wednesday] but it is very much in line with where the industry is at the moment.
"I think the feedlot market here today [Wednesday] shows the beef industry is very much alive."
Weaner heifers also performed strongly as the 1500 on offer, ranging between seven to 15 months old and 190kg to 400kg, sold between $1250/hd and $2100/hd to average $1680/hd.
Much like the average price of weaner heifers, the average price of PTIC cows also increased from previous sales as the 300 up for bids aged between three and 10 years old, and weighing between 450kg and 580kg, sold for $1800/hd to $2600/hd to average $2250/hd.
Mr Simshauser said the sale also featured a strong cow and calve market, which offered 200 head and sold between $2500/hd and $2800/hd to average $2700/hd.
"It's a sale we've been running for about 10 years and it's a concept that's really taken off." he said.
"In the past there may have been more of a focus on say weaner steers or heifers, but this time around it has been much more diverse, as highlighted by the strong cow and calve market.
"We were just shy of 5000 head and to yard the numbers we have is just fantastic.
"I think we'd be quite amazed if we had another 600 or so here, we might not have been able to fit them all in."
Billy Jupp
Billy is a Senior Livestock Journalist for the Queensland Country Life based in Toowoomba. He has worked for a variety of different ACM mastheads during the past five years including the Namoi Valley Independent, Northern Daily Leader and The Land.
Billy is a Senior Livestock Journalist for the Queensland Country Life based in Toowoomba. He has worked for a variety of different ACM mastheads during the past five years including the Namoi Valley Independent, Northern Daily Leader and The Land.
