Morty Wilson, Elders, with 513kg Brangus heifers from Warwick Park Pastoral Co, Middlemount, which sold at Gracemere yesterday for 424c/kg, returning $2176/head.

QUALITY offerings kept bidding competition running high at the Central Queensland Livestock Exchange Gracemere Prime and Store Sale yesterday, where steer prices peaked at 798c/kg for a Brangus line.

The European Union-accredited weaners averaging 170kg offered by BJ and LJ Moretti, Wowan, returned $1362 to top the sale on a c/kg basis.

Morgan Harris, TopX Gracemere, said the strong prices reflected the quality of the livestock presented.

“All good quality restocker pens achieved high rates, with a few runs of steers getting close to 800c/kg and heifers pushing close to 700c,” Mr Harris said.

“Feeder steers were dearer in places too, bucking the national trend of easing prices, which could be due to large, quality lines being offered this week.”

Combined agents yarded 2912 head on Wednesday, drawn from the local region and as far north as Townsville and Collinsville. The bidding gallery included the usual line-up of buyers, with two major processors and an active restocker panel taking part.

Other highlights in the steer category included a 236kg Limousin cross weaner pen, from Calibre Grazing, Dixalea, which reached 760c/kg and returned $1799. Dows Creek vendors, D and T Muscat, sold Brangus weaner steers 218kg which topped at 782c/kg to return $1687.

JF and CA Ellrott, Collinsville, sold a line of 427kg No.0 Brahman steers for 510c/kg to return $2181/head, while a 426kg Droughtmaster cross steer offering drawn from C Huntly, Ridgelands, made 540c to return $2305.

Among the heifers, J and B Collins, Calliope, reached 524c for a 392kg Droughtmaster pen, to equal $2054/head. Warwick Park Pastoral Co, Middlemount had a good result for its 513kg Brangus heifers, which sold for 424c and returned $2176/head.

SG and J Davies made a return of $1815/head for a 295kg Charbray cross offering which sold for 614c.

Across the board, processor cows topped at 368c/kg. Olwin Pty Ltd, reached 336c/kg for its Senepol cross cow pen 723kg to return $2433/head.

The cows and calf market peaked at $3200/unit, and a standout sale in this category was an A and J Bauer, Baralaba, offering which made $2750/unit.

Looking ahead, Mr Harris said buyers would soon enjoy bolstered runs of fresh, weaner cattle which typically appear in increased numbers at CQLX from April.

“We will start to get the larger lines through from now and in the lead up to our big feature weaners sales, starting in June,” Mr Harris said.

The first CQLX Feature Weaner and Feeder Sale will be held on Monday 6 June.

Source: RLX