Queenslanders are on a spending spree where they are making their way down NSW snapping up weaners for backgrounding with plenty of grass at foot.
At Kempsey on Thursday the northern state made its presence felt with 600 of the 1700 cattle yarded for the Kempsey Early Bird Feature Weaner Sale heading over the border to Queensland.
The first pen of steers came out of the gate with Gary Gill's Herefords weighing 452.50 kilograms, which went under the hammer for 272.2 cents a kilogram, or $1231.70 a head that went to a Queensland feedlot.
The next lots went the same way including the best feeder steers of Shane Warwick, Glenrock, a line of Santa Getrudis cross cattle, that sold for 336.2c/kg, weighing at 404kg.
Ian McGoldrick from Kempsey Stock and Land said close to 600 cattle went to Queensland for backgrounding as well as more than 200 heading to the New England for orders at Yarrowitch, Walcha and Guyra.
"The good quality feeder steers were 20c/kg dearer than the day before at Macksville but they were in line with the rest of the state's cattle trends," Mr McGoldrick said.
"If you go back six months, cattle were 100c/kg cheaper than they are now, we've had a blip in the market and now it's come back up a bit."
Brett Gillespie, Hastings, sold three 360kg Angus steers at 338.2c/kg while Aldavilla's Alan Sinclair's Charbray steers sold to 340.2c/kg, also heading to Queensland.
In the weaner steer category, the Barry Partnership, Rollands Plains, sold 14, 244kg Angus steers at 336.2c/kg that went to Yarrowitch for backgrounders.
Don Ward, Mooreland, sold 42 Brahman-cross cattle, which in the breakdown, his best sold for 322.2c/kg (both pens weighing 357kg and 292kg), that also went to Queensland. He also sold heifers with the top fetching 240c/kg, or $710.99, weighing 296kg to which stayed locally at Clybucca.
Mr Ward said with the eastern young cattle indicator dropping it was a good result.
"With what's happening in the market we were happy with what we got for the present climate," Mr Ward said.
Mr Ward said the season in his region had seen a massive turn around from last year's drought and the three previous years of flooding rain.
"We had a surplus of fat cattle because of the good season," Mr Ward said.
Ross and Glen Kelsey, Bowraville, topped the heifers with their pen of Charolais that sold for 250c/kg (weighing 300kg) to buyer Tim McCarthy for a backgrounder client on the north west slopes.
