Steers sold to a top of $3.71c/kilogram and heifers to top about $3.44c/g at the February store cattle sale at Warrnambool on Friday.
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Prices were down slightly on those paid at Warrnambool’s January store sale as the feature cattle components of store sales in previous months ended and more cross bred and Friesan cattle were offered for sale.
The total yarded was 1796 head. Open auction steers sold between $750-$1260 and Friesian open auction between $520-$900.00. Heifers at open auction sold $700-$1000.
The top line of Angus heifers in calf sold for $2500 a unit and one Charolais cow with a Limousin bull calf at foot sold for $3350. Fifteen Limousin cows with Limousin calves sold for $2100 a unit.
Warrnambool Stock Agents Association president Jack Kelly said buyers came from Mount Gambier, Naracoorte and across to Colac and included feedlotters such as Teys Bros and Balmoral.
Mr Kelly agreed with the Meat and Livestock Australia forecast that beef prices could ease later in the year but said the situation in Victoria could be different to that of NSW and Queensland because he expected Victoria would be able to sustain a steadier supply because of its good season.
Jamie Simpson of “Brucknell Creek” at Nullawarre sold 90 Angus with the lighter pens averaging 340kgs fetching the top prices of 370c/kg and the heavier pens averaging 374kgs selling for 345c/kg.
Mr Simpson said the prices were slightly down on the 370c/kg for 350kg cattle he sold last month but he was happy. He runs about 220 Angus at Brucknell Creek and said he was “nearly cleaned out for the year” after selling most of the cattle he had prepared.
Also happy was Tony Bennett of “Airport West” at Portland whose pens included one of nine steers averaging 313kgs that fetched 352c/kg and another of 18 heifers, 9-10 months old averaging 285kgs that sold for 331c/kg. Mr Bennett was hoping the good beef prices held “for a good while yet.”
Guy and Sharyn Ferguson of Timboon were happy with the top of 344c/kg they gained for the pen of seven Murray Grey steers averaging 323kgs.
Mr Ferguson said the family were keeping more heifers as it tried to build up herd numbers after selling others to capitalise on the present high prices.
Indicative prices included: Steers – Baangaana, 12 Angus, 540kg, $3.10/kg; B. F. Martin, 12 Angus, 418kg, $3.30/kg; J & J Russell, 6 Angus, 351kg, $3.60/kg; St Kitts, 14 Angus, 329kg, $3.68/kg
Heifers – Brucknell Creek, 19 Angus, 331kg, $3.34/kg; Wattlegums Farm, 13 Angus, 302kg, $3.44/kg; Langlands, 8 Angus, 328kg, $3.38/kg.