Kyneton sale has good turnout, new faces, and bidding competition not seen in many months

There was plenty of interest from agents based in south-west, central and north-east Victoria, but a good contingent of local buyers competed well for a yarding of just under 1200 cattle and pushed a number of pens to past 300 cents per kilogram.

Processor interest was limited but active with Ballarat Meat Company showing interest on plenty of steer pens.

Commission buyer Duncan Brown was also active through the sale.

One of the top sales of the day belonged to A Battersley, who sold a pen of 17 Angus steers, 458kg, for 314c/kg or $1440 a head.

Elders Kyneton auctioneer Dean Coxton said confidence had certainly come back to the market.

"We haven't had a store sale for about a month, and there are certainly changed faces from when we were here last," he said.

"There were a lot of new buyers, and especially a lot of buyers who we haven't seen for a long time as well, with everyone jumping over one another to secure some cattle."

Mr Coxton said continued good seasonal condition had driven the confidence.

"We really haven't had to sell too many cattle either earlier or later, and we have seen a normal selling period, with normal sellers being here today," he said.

"It was great to see it be buoyant today and I hope that can continue through the summer selling period."

Some of the lighter weighted steers also did an even better cents per kilogram price, with Bassett & Roberts selling 20 Angus steers, 370kg, 354c/kg or $1310.

The same vendor also sold another pen of 25 Angus steers, 330kg, for 330c/kg or $1090.

Nutrien livestock auctioneer Kieran McGrath said it had taken a fair while to for confidence to get back at Kyneton.

"There has been a lot of rain in places people don't realise," he said.

"Honestly, I don't know if people think the cattle numbers are around the numbers that people think they are around as well, and with that rain, I think the job can firm up a bit more even where it was today."

"There were very good runs of weaner cattle here at this sale, and that confidence made a lot of people wanting to buy a few."

Good quality heifers of 300kg or more did sell stronger but fell away to sell cheaper as they got lighter.

Omnizar was one vendor who benefited in the heavier heifer section with a pen of five Angus heifers, 375kg, sold for 296c/kg or $1110.

Cows and calves were also very solid, with a good run of 27 cows, with 27 April 2023 drop of calves at foot from the Girvan Family Trust.

As part of that vendor's run, seven Limousin cows with calves with Langi Kal Kal blood were sold for $2400, and another 14 Black Baldy cows and calves were sold for $2160.

The Barro Group was one vendor who butted up against the norm and yarded their cattle a little earlier than expected.

Representatives of the vendor James and Emma Collins, Gisborne said they would normally sell their weaners in January but decided to sell more than 70 cattle in November due to a lack of rain in their region.

But James said he was surprised to get a price of 326c/kg or $1030 for a pen of 17 Hereford weaner steers weighing 315kg.

"We didn't expect to get that price," James said.

"We honestly thought we'd get $800 for these cattle today, but it's a good surprise to sell them for higher."

Emma added that Gisborne was getting some rain, but it was probably about half of some other local areas.

"If Kyneton would get 40 millimetres, we'd get around 15 millimetres, so it prompted us to sell two months earlier because we didn't have the feed."

One Angus steer sold by L O'Brien weighing 515kg was sold for 349c/kg or $1800 with proceeds going to the Variety Australia charity.

Sweaney sold seven Angus steers, 447kg, for 308c/kg, or $1380.

J & M Dunn sold 11 Angus weaner steers, 409kg, for 295c/kg or $1210.

Omnizar also sold 18 Angus weaner steers, 320kg, for 314c/kg or $1005.

Fraser Group sold 10 Simmental steers, 330kg, for 303c/kg or $1000.

J & J Salomons sold nine Angus heifers, 420kg, for 242c/kg or $1020.

DJ & LI Gordon sold five Angus cows and calves, scanned in calf for March calving, for $2100.

Richard Cudlipp sold eight Angus cows with third to fifth calves at foot by a Charolais Bull, for $1650.

Cushions Corp sold 10 PTIC cows, 642kg, for $1680.