Inverell Regional Livestock Exchange yarded 1379 head of cattle at its April store sale on Thursday with cows and calves selling to $3020, heifers in calf to $2680 and steers to $1983.
Steers 200 to 300kg, 370 head, averaged 573.7 cents a kilogram or $1464 and reached a top of 674c/kg and $1695. Lightweight steers under 200kg reached 704c/kg.
Yearling steers 300 to 400kg, 328 head, averaged 526.5c/kg or $1746 and peaked at 565c/kg and $1926.
Steers sold to 1983 for milk tooth Simmental/Simbrah from the Minnett Family, Monjewel at Myall Creek, 435kg for 456c/kg going to Squires Agencies through bidder Robbie Bloch. The family moved from mulga and buffel grass country at Charleville, Qld, last year and brought with them Gold Park Simmental and Gowrie Simbrah genetics from Kye Minnett's parents Noel and Jill Mobbs.
Angus weaner steers, July and August drop from Eddie and Phillip Billings, Bridgewater west of Yetman, 345kg made 545c/kg or $1880 going to Bellata through Bob Jamieson Agencies.
The Billings put Glen Avon bulls to their Angus cows, running on Panic, Bambatzi, waist high creeping blue grass and lucerne on black soil and alluvial country between the Macintyre and Dumaresq rivers.
The under bidder on those Bridgewater steers was Member for New England Barnaby Joyce buying for his understocked family property Danglemah at Walcha where a heap of feed remains available.
Mr Joyce addressed the saleyard crowd at the start saying there was money in protein not grass before securing Angus 334kg at 553c/kg or $1850 from Glen Wy Pastoral, Crooble.
Mr Joyce also bought Charolais cross from the same producers, 274kg at 558c/kg or $1528.
Black Baldy steers Eu accredited by Eaglehawk Angus bulls off the Macansh family's Deepwater Station sold to a top of $1620 at 668c/kg going to Armidale through Elders. Don and Sandra also sold their brothers 202kg for 686c/kg or $1386 going onto grass at Glencoe through a repeat buyer.
Deepwater Station heifers made 642c/kg for 172kg going to Bundarra.
Heifers 200 to 300kg, 197 head, averaged 537.8c/kg or $1355 and reached 612c/kg and $1579. Lightweight heifers under 200kg made up to 642c/kg.
Yearling heifers 300 to 400kg, 167 head, averaged 478c/kg or $1597 and topped at 550c/kg and $1850.
Cross bred Heifers purchased last September at Blackall through Philip Frame well and truly doubled their value at Inverell on Thursday for Brian Reid, Harwood at Bukkulla Making to a top of $1667 at 490c/kg.
Angus heifers, 317kg from Glen Wy at Crooble brought $1651 for 520c/kg going to Killara for backgrounding ahead of feeding through Elders.
"There is no cliff looming for prices," enthused regional livestock exchange CEO Cye Travers "This is part of a cycle that we expect to go for three years until the herd is replenished."
The way heifers were being sold to go on feed rather than to breed certainly reflected that view.
As an aside, a planned official opening on Thursday of the new totally covered IRLX was cancelled after some Brisbane based RLX staff had to quarantine after being caught celebrating in a Byron Bay Covid hotspot prior to Easter.
Cows sold open auction, 100 head, averaged $1870 to top at $2490. Heifers tested in calf sold open auction averaged $2250 peaking at $2680.
A total herd dispersal from the Brown family, Warialda, topped the sale for heifers making $2680 for Angus in calf to the same going to Perry and Bridget Newman, Red Range Road east of Glen Innes who will eventually put them to Charolais.
"We fed our herd during the drought but that has paid off now," said Mr Newman who now has fences to fix following extensive flooding along the Beardie Waters last month.
Cows and cows with calves from the Brown family topped the sale making $2490 and $3020.
There will be another Inverell store sale next Thursday as part of a combined RMA agents sell-a-thon which includes Tenterfield and Glen Innes.
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