Locals and northern buyers support Wangaratta feature weaner sale

The Wangaratta Premier Angus Weaner Sale sale yarded good to excellent quality cattle throughout both its first and second run of steers.

Agents yarded just over 4900 cattle in total at the Wangaratta Livestock Exchange with major consignments from local vendors including Davilak Pastoral, Mansfield, who had a run of 747 steers being offered, while Dennis Heywood, Rosewhite, yarded 780 cattle.

"The Davilak Pastoral cattle was one of the bigger highlights here at Wangaratta today with their calves topping out at 362 cents a kilogram with weight down to 295 kilograms," Corcoran Parker Wangaratta agent Reiley Murtagh said.

"[That yarding] really put some real standout in style at the sale as well, but you know, everyone contributed to it, and the line up of cattle here today was magnificent."

Mr Murtagh said the "second to none" lineup of cattle persisted in quality through to the second run of steers.

Those second runs of cattle regularly had pens reach over $1000 a head for cattle weighing over 300kg on average.

"We had a lot of cattle from down south mainly from Mansfield and surrounds, while a portion of the sale saw great cattle from the Myrtleford and Wangaratta regions as well," Mr Murtagh said.

"There were some great breeding foundations and very big runs of cattle which made for a very solid sale."

Of the Davilak Pastoral cattle, a run of 144 Angus weaner steers with an average weight range of 360-376kg were sold for $1275 a head, or 331-345c/kg.

Dennis Heywood sold a pen of 42 Angus steers with The Glen, Fernhill and Glenlock Blood, 353kg, for $1175 or 332c/kg while another pen of 24 Angus weaner steers, 416kg, sold for $1285 or 303c/kg.

Mr Heywood said his cattle had been receptive to a good season in his region.

"The cattle really responded to the breeding that we've put into them, and we've been pretty proud of what we've been able to produce," he said.

"We've had repeat buyers here buying our cattle and as long as they make money out of them, we are happy."

Buyers were predominantly local as far south as Euroa, however there was a significant northern buyer influence, particularly from north-east NSW and southern Queensland.

In the latter half of the sale, agents battled howling wind and sold cattle in torrential rain in the outdoor areas of the saleyards as a cool change came through, with a few sturdy buyers also getting a major soaking.

MA & JT Scott, Allans Flat grabbed the top price per head, selling 23 Angus steers, 430kg, for $1375 or 319c/kg, and also sold a pen of 24 Angus heifers, 399kg, for $1040 or 260c/kg.

Seaton Park Partnership, Tallarook, sold 17 Angus steers, 426kg, for $1370 or 321c/kg and also sold 23 Angus heifers, 280kg, for $805 or 286c/kg.

Mercieca Pastoral, Mansfield, sold 24 Angus steers, 414kg, for $1325 or 320c/kg while another pen of 24 Angus steers from them, 408kg, sold for $1310 or 321c/kg.

AG & JE Simpson, Docker, sold 19 Angus steers, 389kg, for $1290 or 331c/kg.

K & P McPherson, Docker, sold 56 Angus steers, 355kg, for $1170 or 329c/kg.

SM Davies, Docker, sold 23 Angus steers, 362kg, for $1180 or 325c/kg.

LS & SE Heywood, Turrawingee, topped the heifer portion for price per head for 14 Angus heifers, 422kg, sold for $1100 or 260c/kg.

Balbane, Tallarook, sold 15 Mixed heifers, 358kg, for $945 or 263c/kg.