Cattle prices jump as feeder, light-weight steers hit 400c/kg at Leongatha

Agents yarded about 3000 cattle at the fortnightly Victorian Livestock Exchange sale on Friday, a drop of 2000 head compared to the last fortnightly sale in June.

Well-bred and light-weight Angus steers also passed 400c/kg on several occasions which gave the market an injection of confidence despite the seasonally dry conditions across large parts of Victoria and NSW.

Retired grazier Adrian Walker, Yinnar South, sold his final pen of 17 Angus, 564kg, steers for $2080 a head or 368c/kg to J & F Feedlot.

Mr Walker sold the property, which settled last week, marking an end to 70 years of farming on the property his family had owned since 1887.

"I'm the third generation working the family, but I've sold it to my cousin who is a sixth-generation Walker to the Yinnar area," Mr Walker, 88, said.

"I've traded cattle for the last decade and before that I was a dairy farmer and milked 130 cows on the farm.

"Timing is right to step away from farming, it had to happen and while I can still do the work and move, it was time to move on and to finish with a price like that was very good."

Elders Delaney Livestock & Property director Anthony Delaney, who auctioned cattle at the sale, said feeder steers ranged on average from 370-400c/kg.

"Generally speaking, we did see up to 400c/kg for some terrific lines of calves, but the majority ranged 350-360c/kg," he said.

"We're really starting to see the effects of winter now with the volume and quality of the cattle quite subdued."

Nutrien South Gippsland Livestock manager Brian McCormack estimated both feedlot and lighter-weight cattle experienced a jump by $100-$150 a head.

"There's less numbers here and it's the end of the fortnightly sales, but we're 2000 cattle down on what we've been yarding lately," he said.

Grazier Angus McKinnon, trading as Medowra, Licola, sold his annual draft of 300 mixed-sex Angus cattle, 9-10 months, with the assistance of agent Jayden Boulton, Elders, Sale.

The steer draft included 21 Angus, 340kg, for $1210 or 355c/kg, 22, 321kg, steers for $1100 or 342c/kg, and 24, 294kg, steers for $1100 or 374c/kg.

At the lighter end of the draft, 13 black baldy, 385kg, steers made $990 or 347c/kg, knocked down to a buyer at Hallora, while 24 Angus, 282kg, made $980 or 347c/kg.

Medowra also sold 130 heifers, including 24 Angus, 323kg, for $950 or 269c/kg to Westside Meats, and almost 100 heifers over four pens to agent Paul Wilson, SEJ Leongatha, for a backgrounder at Poowong.

The heifers ranged from 286-238kg and ranged from $770-$640.

Among the volume buyers was Nutrien livestock operations manager Ron Rutledge who bought 300 Angus steers, including 100 steers for a South Australian feedlot and 200 for a backgrounder in the Riverina, NSW.

His purchases included 14 Angus, 479 kilogram, steers for $1980 or 413c/kg, consigned by Yeerung Pastoral. W & J Bullock, Meeniyan, sold 24 ANgus, 433kg, steers for $1850 or 427c/kg.

Phelan & Henderson & Co director Simon Henderson said feeder steers ranged from $1800-$2200.

"You could still buy well-bred Angus weaners from $1100-$1250 so it's still a great time to trade cattle," he said.

"We're seeing now that the heavy feeder price is really no different to the weaner price which we haven't seen for quite some time.

"That could quickly change with a widespread rain in the western district and north of Melbourne to the Riverina... all those sellers would become buyers with a good, general rain so it's ideal to be trading at the moment."

Kiani Eden, Bass, sold 19 Angus, 424kg, steers for $1700 or 400c/kg.

In other sales higher than 400c/kg, Minaminkah Pty Ltd, Tarwin, sold 19 Angus, 493kg, steers for $2040 or 413c/kg.

Cam and Steph Corrigan, Krowera, sold 19 Angus, 285kg, steers for $1200 or 412c/kg to a backgrounder at Sale.

Brothers Neil and Barrie Coulthard, Calrossie, sold 91 mixed-sex Angus, 11-12 months, including 23 Angus, 351kg, steers for $1460 or 415c/kg to a bullock fattener at Leongatha, and 21 Angus, 294kg, steers for $1180 or 401c/kg.

The brothers also sold 24 Angus, 330kg, heifers for $1000 or 303c/kg to a West Gippsland backgrounder, and 23 Angus for $800.

Melbourne-based commission buyer Campbell Ross bought the complete consignment of 90 Angus heifers from Woodbrook, Colac, which recorded an average weight of 436kg.

The weights of the heifers ranged 468-394kg and sold for $1500, ranging from 320-380c/kg.

D & L White, Fernbank, sold 24 Angus, 238kg, steers for $1040 or 438c/kg to a bullock fattener at Korumburra.

S Balbo & C Tan sold 20 Angus and black baldy, 423kg, for $1750 or 413c/kg to a buyer via Elders Korumburra.

The same vendors aols 19 Angus and black baldy, 384kg, heifers for $1270 or 330c/kg.

The sale started with a pen of 22 Angus, 654kg, steers consigned by Est AA & FE Birss, Stradbroke, which made $2280 or 348c/kg.

Rosebank Farm sold nine Angus, 529kg, steers for $1970 or 372c/kg, 15 Angus, 476kg, for $1910 or 401c/kg, and 14 Angus, 382kg, for $1410 or 369c/kg.

O'Loughlin Farms, Tarwin, sold 15 Angus, 516kg, steers for $2050 or 397c/kg.

T Van Dijk, Winnindo, sold 17 ANgus, 396kg, steers for $1540 or 388c/kg.

CJ Farr, Stony Creek, sold 17 Angus, 297kg, steers for $1120 or 377c/kg.

A Wyhoon Ent, Yinnar, sold 11 Angus, 539kg, steers for $2130 or 395c/kg.

H Henderson sold 19 Angus, 577kg, for $2250 or 389c/kg.

J Carney, Grantville, sold 24 Angus, 536kg, steers for $2000 or 373c/kg.

D Sim, Yinnar, sold 10 Hereford, 625kg, steers for $1990 or 318c/kg.

Vuiller Shorthorns, Yanakie, sold 14 Shorthorn, 450kg, steers for $1570 or 348c/kg.

McLeod Partnership, Inverloch, sold seven Angus, 544kg, steers for $2100 or 386c/kg.

A & S Browne sold 12 Angus, 447kg, heifers for $1440 or 313c/kg.

AG Landy, Walkerville, sold 13 Angus, 409kg, heifers for $1410 or 344c/kg.