HAWKESDALE livestock producer Tom Robinson was smiling again after the Warrnambool May store cattle sale on Friday.
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Mr Robinson, of “Moyne Falls” averaged about $850 for the 703 Angus steers and heifer calves he sold at the sale with the top lot of 73 steer calves going for $1060.
The excellent prices follow the top of $1080 Mr Robinson received at last November’s Warrnambool store sale at which two thirds of the 500 head he offered went for more than $1000 a head.
Mr Robinson, 80, said the prices of the past seven months were the best he had received in his 60 years plus career as a livestock producer.
However he said he had been through lots of highs and lows in livestock production and the present boom beef prices would not persuade him away from having a diversified beef and sheep operation.
Mr Robinson said wool, and lambs in particular, were also providing good returns and he expected he would again appreciate having them as part of his farm enterprise when the cyclical nature of livestock production turned against beef.
His family have been Angus producers for a few generations and he said he had found getting good genetics played a big part in getting good returns.
However the past season had been a tough dry one and he fed the 703 head on grain pellets for the past three weeks to lift their weights for the sale.
Strong competition from local restockers and from feedlots in central Victoria and SA for the 2000 head offered at the store sale continued the high prices being paid in the beef industry.
Eight to nine month old Black Baldy steer calves averaging 271kgs from P & M Mugavin sold for $3.52/kg around the top of the sale while 14-15 month old calves from 420-502kgs went for between $2.95-$3.26/kg.
The top price for 14-15 month weighed heifers was about $3.20/kg while odd lighter heifers topped at $3.45 with most weighed heifers selling between $2.85-$3.10.
In the cows and calves, 16 Angus cows with calves on the Garvie account topped the section at $2150 a pair. Other cow and calf pairs sold for between $1450-$2000 a pair.
Indicative prices included:
Angus steers – G.J. Ander, 266kgs, $3.50/kg; South West Nominees, 396kgs, $3.26c/kg; Lynlee, 427kg, $3.19/kg; Furneaux, 466kgs, $3.10/kg.
Hereford steers – South Boorook, 502kgs, $2.96/kg; Olangolah, 446kgs, $3.12/kg.
Hereford Shorthorn cross steers – Grovedale, 396kgs, $3.14/kg, 441kgs, $2.95/kg.
Angus steers (EU) – RJ & JL Page, 340kgs, $3.26/kg.
Murray Grey steers – G & J Ferguson, 370kgs, $3.24/kg.