The good times they are back!
Friday 19 August 2022
The big crowd, the buzz and the big money — it was all back at Wangaratta today in a store market that well and truly showed producers have got their mojo back for a big spring feed season.
Some of the crowd at the Wangaratta cattle sale where 3000 were offered.
Once again $2000 became the line in the sand for quality young Angus steers, with lightweight calves down to 240kg also hitting this mark to rebound back over 800c/kg liveweight.
It came as the centre hosted a packed crowd of agents and farmers.
In the opening laneway some buyers were forced to bid from mid laneway as they couldn’t even get close to the pen being sold because of the sea of people.
“We knew it was going to be big as the carpark was full at 9.30am (an hour before the sale was due to start),’’ local Elders agent Vin McKenzie said.
“It’s the biggest crowd I’ve ever seen here and I’ve been coming to these yards for 30 years.’’
Drawing the crowd was a featured yarding of more than 3000 mostly black steers, making it one of the largest and best quality offerings available in Victoria’s North East at this time of year.
While some older steers weighing 477kg sold to $2700 (566c/kg) the market hit its straps on the big drafts of young steers.
In the opening laneway a pen of 26 weaned Angus steers, 10-12-months, from Annetta Smith and daughter Michelle sold for $2390. They had been awarded the sale’s champion pen sash and on a displayed weight of 347kg returned 688c/kg liveweight.
Filling most of the first laneway were 214 Angus steers bred by the Ferguson brothers of Bowmans Forest. The calves sold to $2280 and, showing how bidding maintained its pace as weights eased, the entire line went on to average $2256. At an average weight of 320kg it equated to 705c/kg.
Elders auctioneer Oliver Mason said restockers had re-entered the market with renewed vigour after what appeared to have been a short crisis of confidence over the threat of foot and mouth disease.
“Whatever confidence was dashed is certainly back in a big way,’’ he said.
“All categories of steers have sold strongly, but I think it was the lighter 240-320kg calves that have shown biggest gains here today.
“We are almost back to that dollar-per-head thing (of calves making over $2000 each regardless of size) and on more than one occasion here today there has been second drafts making more money than the vendors’ tops.’’
Some big outcomes for light calves included 54 Angus from Mountain Fresh Livestock, which had a displayed weight of 243kg and sold for $2000, working out to 823c/kg.
The prices needed to be considered alongside the quality and condition of the weaners being sold. They were, in the words of many agents, “perfect’’ store cattle, displaying plenty of frame but little excess condition.
David Meehan, from Corcoran Parker, said while the sale would read really well on paper with most steers between 700c to 800c/kg liveweight, the reality was the weight gain potential of them made them more realistically valued.
The other order to make an impact was from processor Greenhams, which bought a big wing of calves to background for grain feeding. It was the first time many could recall seeing the company operate in such a strong manner at a feature store sale.