This line of 252 8-11 month old EU-eligible Santa weaned backgrounder steers averaging 234kg, from Consuelo Cattle Co, Rolleston, QLD made 355c/$830 on Friday.

WITH patchy rain around parts of NSW and Victoria last week and further falls forecast in some areas, the market on AuctionsPlus experienced higher buyer confidence in what was a declining market.

Commercial cattle numbers offered fell 8pc to 7387 head, however clearance rates this week were up 4pc to 52pc.  Heifer prices, and most steer values, generally trended down.

While joined female numbers were strong, demand was back, which reflected in prices. Joined females average $1310 and sold to a top of $1710 for a line of 3-4 year old Bald Blair blood Angus cows out of Armidale, NSW PTIC to Wagyu bulls, which are heading north to Condamine, QLD.

Cow and calf listings experienced a similar response from the market, with prices trending lower. Units this week averaged $1838 to a top price of $2220 for a line of 530kg 4-5 year old Angus cows with Adrossan bred Angus calves at foot which will stay in the Albury/Wondonga area.

This line of 48 Angus x Wagyu F1 yearling steers from Barraba NSW averaging 347kg made $1900 or 548c/kg on Friday.

Among younger cattle, Bareela Pastoral Co of Barraba, NSW took out the top $/head price for steers and heifers this week with a line of 48 Angus x Wagyu F1s. The yearling steers averaged 347kg and sold for $1900 or 548c/kg, while their 40 yearling heifer sisters averaging 300kg sold for $1500 or 500c/kg.

Both lots will be heading north up into the concentrated Wagyu lotfeeding area of the Darling Downs.  A further 34 half-sib Wagyu x Hereford/Angus steers 350kg failed to attract a bid, with a start price of $1100.

Facing a big move this week will be 118 weaned Shorthorn cross heifers from Balloo Downs Trust, Gillingarra, WA, bred near Newman in the state’s north, which will travel 2795km to their new home near Broken Hill, NSW. The weaners weighing 209kg sold for $410 or 196c/kg.

A line of 252 8-11 month old EU-eligible Santa Gertrudis weaned backgrounder steers averaging 234kg, from Consuelo Cattle Co, Rolleston, QLD made 355c/$830, while their 215 heifer siblings averaging227kg, made $705. Most were Swan Hill or Gyranda bloodlines.

118 weaned Shorthorn cross heifers from Gillingarra, WA, bred near Newman in the state’s north, which will travel 2800km to their new home near Broken Hill. The weaners weighing 209kg sold for $410 or 196c/kg.

In a breakdown of young cattle sold by weight range this week:

• Steers less than 259kg sold from 351– 383c/kg to av. 360c (down 41c); while heifers sold from 197-329c to av. 290c (down 32c)
• Steers 250-300kg sold from 317-373cg to av. 350c (down 12c) ; while heifers sold from 275-337c to av. 315c (down 57c)
• Steers 300-350kg sold from 313-342c to av. 331c (down 13c) ; while heifers sold from 308-365c to av. 321c (down 13c)
• Steers 350-400kg sold from 298c-338c to av. 316c (down 10c) ; while heifers sold from 277-352c to av. 315c (up 2c)
• Steers 400-450kg sold for 320c; while heifers sold for 293c.

Steer highlights:

• 10-11 month old Angus/Angus/Shorthorn steers 235kg, from Walgett, NSW made 383c/$902
• 10-11 month old Angus steers 280kg, from Braidwood, NSW made 373c/$1045
• 9-10 month old Angus steers 241kg, from Inglewood, QLD made 367c/$885
• 8-11 month old Santa Gertrudis steers 234kg, from Rolleston, QLD made 355c/$830
• 10-11 month old Hereford steers 256kg, from Port Fairy, VIC made 372c/$955
• 10-11 month old Angus/Hereford steers 265kg, from Port Fairy, VIC made 366c/$970

Heifer Highlights:

• 12-13 month old Angus heifers 323kg, from Merriwa, NSW made 365c/$1180
• 11-12 month old Angus heifers 311kg, from Walcha, NSW made 362c/$1125
• 6-16 month old Angus heifers 216kg, from Bungunya, QLD made 329c/$710
• 8-11 month old Santa Gertrudis heifers 227kg, from Rolleston, QLD made 311c/$705
• 6-12 month old Shorthorn heifers 209kg, from Gillingarra WA made 197c/$410

Wagyu sale highlights

Separate Wagyu seedstock and commercial sales were held on Friday.

Thirty lots offered in the Premium Wagyu sale catalogue, mostly individual breeding cattle or semen straws, sold to $4350 for a well-bred Fullblood Wagyu heifer 17 months from Lima South, northern Victoria. Clearance rate was only 40pc.

All the headlines focused on a separate Wagyu Seedstock Sale held on Friday, where the first Polled Wagyu yearling bull calf to be offered in Australia made an eye-catching $65,000. Not a bad return for a $13 AuctionsPlus listing fee -see today’s separate report.

The sale saw 16 lots offered – mostly registered Fullblood heifers plus a few weaned bulls and embryo packages. Just two of the 16 lots offered found buyers, the remainder either passed in or failing to attract a bid. A second polled Wagyu bull calf was passed in for $20,500.