Quality lines of steers and heifers held their value at Thursday's Inverell store sale, where more than 2050 head averaged 348.6 cents a kilogram.
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Lines of well-grown cattle attracted buyer attention, but agents noted that lesser-quality cattle were discounted under the auctioneers' call.
Steers weighing up to 200kg sold between 240c/kg, topping at 452c/g and averaging 372c/kg. In dollar terms, this price range was from $364 to $836, averaging $651.
The most numerous were in the 200kg to 280kg range, with 659 yarded. They were priced from 200c/kg to 454c/kg, averaging 398c/kg. In dollar terms, they ranged from $470 to $1166, averaging $968.
In the 280kg to 330kg section, they were priced between 300c/kg to a top of 440c/kg, averaging 393c/kg. In dollars, the price ranged from $960 to $1262, averaging $1154.
According to Ben Lehman, of Lehman Stock and Property in Inverell, the heifer sale was the surprise package of the sale.
Heifers up to 200kg, ranged from 222c/kg to 300c/kg, averaging 269c/kg. In dollars they were priced from $336 to $590, averaging $450..
For the heifers 200kg to 280kg they sold for 210c/kg to 320c/kg, average 291c/kg, or $712 to $976 and an $860 average for the 436 head yarded.
Only 146 heifers weighed between 280 kg and 330kg. They began at 250c/kg and reached a peak of 322c/kg, averaging 291c/kg. They ranged from $712 to $976, averaging $860.
"The sale of the heifers was above all expectations," Mr Lehman said. "We were happy with the heifers, they have been cheaper all year and I felt they were 20c/kg dearer today.
"Any good heifers were priced around the 310 to 312c/kg and the good lighter heifers were in the 275c/kg to 285c/kg range.
"If they were lighter in quality, buyers were still paying between 240c/kg to 250c/kg," he said.
AWN Squires' auctioneer Tom Oakes said the strength of the season had not yet fully committed buyers to stock up to date.
"The buyers have been hesitant," he said. "But now the oat crops are starting to come into play, and we're seeing a lot of local interest focused on backgrounding opportunities.
"Some have sold their older cattle, and they're looking to re-boot with younger stock and start the process over," Mr Oakes said.
Phillip Frame, Frame Rural Inverell acting for George Boland, Moree who sold a large line of Angus and Angus-cross steers from his Keera district property, Booroomooka. The first pen of 62, averaging 255kg, made the sale top cents per kilo rate of 454c/kg. They returned $1161.
Another pen of 40 averaging 266kg made 438c/kg to return $1166, while a third pen of 20,averaging 264kg made 438c/kg. Lighter steers from the same vendor made 444c/kg but averaged 217kg for the pen of 49. They returned $965.
Wooroonga from Gulf Creek near Barraba offered the opening pen of the day, with 16 averaging 283 kilograms and making 440 cents/kg. These were good-quality steers, Mr Oakes said, and buyers stepped up for the early pens.
BH and JL Adams, Moree had a pen of 13 Angus steers averaging 342kg that made 408c/kg, while another pen of 12, averaging 292kg, went for 432c/kg.
The Stewart family, Pipearange Pty Ltd, Deepwater, sold a pen of 41 Hereford steers, averaging 311 kg, for 396c/kg, averaging $1233. Another pen of 23 Herefords from the same vendor made 392c/kg, averaging 283kg and returning $1109.
Peter and Donna Stewart, The Vale, Deepwater, sold a pen of Angus/Hereford cross steers averaging 278kg for 408c/kg, returning $1135. A pen of 10 steers, same breeding, averaged 394c/kg, averaging 207c/kg and returned $815.
Later in the sale a pen of 14 of The Vale's black-baldy heifers, averaging 279kg made 308c/kg to return $833.
Cow and calf units were few in number with only 51 offered.
Mr Oakes said heavier pregnant cows with calves sold well ranging in price from $1100 to $1400, averaging $1221 while a pen of 19 cows averaged $1620.