Just over 6000 cattle went under the hammer with quality once again of a high standard.

David Braniff from Corryong bought 77 Herefords in three different lots for replacement stock.

“The conditions are quite good at home with plenty of feed in the valley and surrounding area,” Mr Braniff said.

“I wouldn’t consider myself an expert but I thought the quality of cattle on offer was of a high standard.

“We were easily able to get the cattle we needed to suit our needs.

“I had to pay a bit more than I was expecting and the cattle have certainly got a bit dearer.

“Before I arrived I was hoping to pay around the 280c/kg but I ended up paying 295c/kg, 298c/kg and 311c/kg for the three different lots.

“But I was still happy enough to buy at the prices on offer.”

Paull & Scollard Landmark agent, Stephen Paull, said a good range of buyers, including several from Tasmania had buoyed competition.

“There is a tick over 6000 cattle today which is a very good yarding,” Mr Paull said.

“The quality is excellent with competition from buyers very strong.

“The big cattle have been averaging around that 280c/kg or slightly better.

“Most of the younger cattle are around the 300c/kg or a little bit better which I think most vendors would be very happy with.

“The buyers are having to pay market value and slightly above and this is certainly better than your traditional market.

“Not only was there a good range of buyers but a good range of volume buyers – the blokes that can buy a few numbers.

Cecily Trickett, from “Boongarra” Morven, was attending her 35^th straight Wodonga Premier Hereford/Euro and other breeds grown and weaner sale. She sold just over 100 Hereford steers and 30 Hereford heifers.

“This is our annual sale and we have been supporting it now for well over three decades,” she said.

“There is very little feed at home at the moment but considering the conditions, I though the cattle still presented well.

“I didn’t have any real expectations on what prices to expect before the sale but am very pleased with the end result.”

SOME producers do not prefer Angus cattle, and there was many of them at Barnawartha for the first of the colored cattle sales.

Corcoran Parker, Elders, and Paull & Scollard Landmark offered a strong yarding of 6200 head, mostly of good to very good quality.

Starting at 9am, on a large penning of yearling steers, competition from processors for feeder steers was strong.

A pen of heavy steers, 631kg liveweight, topped the market at $1540, but it was the annual run of Hereford steers of McKoy & Sons Pastoral Company, “Ohio”, Holbrook, that gave the best indication of market strength.

Ravensworth, Teys-Cargill, Lady Smith, Westside Meats, and Sean McKenzie were among the mix of buyers of feeder cattle.

Most of the McKoy steers, 378kg to 509kg, were purchased for grain feeding from $1065 to $1440, equalling 283 to 296c/kg liveweight.

G&S Bawden, Holbrook, sold 80 Shorthorn and Shorthorn cross steers from $1000 to $1370, also for grain feeding.

However, there were many drafts steers, and heifers, purchased for grain feeding.

Competition came from Bathurst and Narrabri plus some producers and feedlots from Tasmania again featured in this sale. A good numbers of steers were purchased for live export.

Demand for all weights and grades of steer and heifer calves was very good.

Excellent quality was seen in all breeds, which included Herefords, and their crosses, Charolais, Limousin, Simmental, and some Bos Indicus cattle too.

It is fair to say that there was some differences seen between weaned and non-weaned steers and heifers, but this was not always the case.

Top of the weaned steers was McKillop Past Co, Dederang, for their 17 Angus-Hereford steers, 368kg, that made $1275.

These were closely followed by Rangan Charolais, Charleroi, for 16 steers that made $1250.

M&E Turner, Red Bluff, were awarded the best presented pen by the Charolais Society, and the Rural Bank, for 19 steers, Rangan Charolais blood, that made $1165.

Many of the steers sold between $1000 and $1200 with liveweight price equivalents from 295 to 345c/kg.

Sleigh Pastoral, Ruffy, was awarded the best presented pen of Hereford steers, by the Hereford Society. Their 110 steers sold between $750 for young steers to $1070.

Overall, there was more competition for European breeds this year with live export putting a good floor in the market for steers 290kg to 340kg. RG McCall & Sons, Daysdale, sold 105 EU Accredited Simmental cross steers from $860 to $1140.

Several producers sold EU accredited steers and heifers, and while some were kept in the EU system, there was not a lot of preference for these.

A big part of this sale was the large number of heifers penned, many of which were yearling and younger heifers in very good condition.

Competition for feeder heifers was solid, and many of the yearling heifers were purchased for grain feeding. 

Many of these quality heifers sold from $1000 to $1200, equaling 265 to 285c/kg liveweight.