Cattle prices rebounded at the Western Victorian Livestock Exchange at Mortlake from the lows of last month's sale with good inquiry seeing steer and heifer prices rise by up to 25 cents a kilogram.
Subscribe now for unlimited access to all our agricultural news
across the nation
or signup to continue reading
A good quality yarding of 1800 that included lines of breeders cattle saw buyers step up paying 280 to 290c/kg for grown steers above 500kg and 297 to 305c/kg for steers weighing 460 to 500kg.
Weaner steers sold from 290c/kg to a top of 321c/kg. Of the unweighed lighter cattle the top price was $880.
Of the heifers the bulk of these made from 250c/kg to a top of 275c/kg or 20-25c/kg up from the previous sale a month ago.
Some market analysts were quoting the heifers were as much as 30c/kg higher.
Associated agents president Glenn Judd said the yarding was much improved on the previous sale and that was reflected in the demand and prices.
He said it was an extremely good sale for exceptional quality cattle with two or three runs of breeder's cattle forwarded.
"The vendors need to be congratulated on the quality," he said.
Compared with the January sale heavy steers were 10 to 20c/kg dearer while weaned steers were 20-25c/kg higher and nearly back to the prices of November, he said.
Good support came from Teys, Garrison, JBS, Creek Pastoral, as well as agents from including Don Bowman and keen inquiry from agents at Hamilton and locally.
"Competition went right down to the last pen sold which were only around 110kg and sold for $280 a head.
Mr Judd said some areas locally had a green tinge and the "break doesn't seem that far away".
Early in the sale a consignment from Glencairn of Angus steers, 17-18 months old and weighing between 467 and 516kg sold in four lines to a top of 305c/kg for a pen of 41.
Derry Lodge had two lines of Angus steers, 18 months, with the top pen of 12 weighing 469kg selling for 304c/kg. A second pen of nine weighing 451kg made 297c/kg.
A pen of 15 Angus steers, 395kg, sold account Woodell Pty Ltd, were judged best presented pen of steers and sold for 310c/kg
Denholm Green offered 18 Angus steers, 10-11 months, that sold for 303c/kg.
Anniedale Park, Allansford, consigned a quality draft of Angus steers, 10-11 months. The heaviest of these sold for 302c/kg for 19 weighing 376kg. A pen of 20 Anniedale steers, 342kg sold for a sale top of 321c/kg while the lightest of the draft, 46steers weighing 309kg made 314c/kg.
Teek Dolan and Garry Whitehead, Mortlake, sold 11 steers, weighing 381kg that sold for 306c/kg or $1167. The pair donated the proceeds of one of the steers to BlazeAid to help Queensland flood victims.
A major vendor was J Haydon Partnership, Beulah, sold 106 Angus steers, spring 2018 drop, that sold un weighed from $610 to $845.
Will Howell, Gumvale Grazing, Port Fairy, forwarded a draft of 66 steers that sold to $840.
Killkenny forwarded a line of 40 heifers, 17-18 months, that weighed 457kg and sold for 273c/kg.
Rocklyn Park received 277c/kg for a pen of 13 heifers, 18 months, that weighed 425kg.
McRae Trading Trust, Olangolah, Hawkesdale, sold 52 Herefoord heifers in two pens with the tops of 29 weighing 433kg selling for 270c/kg and a pen of 23 weighing 473 making 268c/kg.
A pen of 15 Black Baldy heifers weighing 386kg sold account Yera Estate, made 281c/kg.
The heifer portion of the Gumvale draft of 41 sold to $570.
Mungala Investments were a major vendor of pregnancy tested in calf females fourth calvers, with the top pen of nine selling for $1220. A further 12 of the same description sold for $1160.
