Grafton yarded 1505 head of mainly weaner calves on Thursday with Queensland demand placing a solid floor in the market as steers sold to $1328.
Of the 985 steers sold over the scales the average was 328.2 cents a kilogram or $830 a head, reaching a top of 392.2c/kg.
Of the 346 heifers the average was 244.1c/kg or $619 with top bids of 290.2c/kg and $1232.
Cows with calves sold per head averaged $1426 to reach $2000. Cows sold over the scales averaged 168.2c/kg or $778, reaching a top of 210.2c/kg and $1131.
Sale host and principal agent David Farrell, Farrell McCrohon Stock and Station Agents of Ulmarra, said while Queensland took nearly two-thirds of the yarding, there remained strong local support driven by recent rain and emerging rye grass.
AJ and KA McIntyre of Pinkett were selected as the 'vendor of the week' for a high-quality offering of 27 Simmental-cross calves from their New England property southeast of Glen Innes. The uniform line included 19 steers averaging 308.4kg and eight heifers averaging 306.3kg. The steers sold for 346.2c/kg to average $1067 while the heifers sold for 260c/kg or $796.
CQ Pastoral with country at Baryulgil mustered 68 head of Angus cross weaners for the sale, with calves losing weight in the yards as more than 60mm of cold rain bucketed down but still averaged $815/hd weighing from 176kg to 276kg and topped at $989 for 276kg going to the Moura district of central Queensland.
The sale was hosted by Farrell McCrohon Stock and Station Agents of Ulmarra with David Farrell and Ben Clark catching the bids.
