Tim Schmidt, Doleraine held together the complete draft of 100 Echo Cottage Angus heifers that he plans to grow and join To Landfall Angus as future breeders then offer for resale to the mainland. His purchases averaged him $1110 a head.
SUMMARY: 2740 head
STEERS: 360-450kg $1420-$1660, AV 387C/KG; 300-360KG; $1300-$1570, AV 437C/KG; 240-300KG: $1100-$1510 AV 472C/KG: 180-240kg $910-$1300, AV 496C/KG
HEIFERS: 360-410kg $1380-1400, AV 350C/KG; 300-360KG; $1080-$1270, AV 374C/KG; 240-300KG $980- $1190, AV 420C/KG; 180-240KG $760- $1070, AV 431C/KG.
EYCI: 766.25c/kg
MAINLAND restocker orders from Victoria and northern areas of NSW have underpinned a fierce demand for Tasmanian beef weaners in a 2750-strong yarding offered by Elders on Thursday.
The penning, which was predominantly spring-born Angus calves, presented about 30kg lighter on average than this same sale 12 months ago following a dry summer growing period.
Elders auctioneer Allan Perry said the mainland competition was mostly held at bay by an intense local inquiry in the lead of the heavier steer drafts.
But on the lighter pens, and especially on selected EU-accredited yards, he said the mainland force found its range to claim an even share.
“In comparison to the steers, the heifer demand was as extreme as we’ve ever seen in Tasmania”, Mr Perry said.
“Very few pens could be purchased for less than $850, with the majority making $950 to $1150 a head. This equated to $4-$4.50 for the better-bred pens with some nudging $5/kg”.
VIDEO: View his interview with Beef Central at the conclusion of the sale:
In total some 920 head or one-third of yarding were claimed by mainland interests which were especially dominant throughout the sale of heifers.
The Upper Murray, Wangaratta and Hamilton were the best performed of the Victorian competition while Tamworth, Dubbo, Coonamble and Dunedoo were revealed as the NSW interests.
At the opening a draft of 15 March/April-drop Dorset Downs Angus steers, 435kg, made the market top of $1660 a head, while a second pen of 17, sold on the same account, 399kg, made $1610.
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These were sold to northwest coast bullock finisher, while two yards of March-drop Glenmore Angus steers, 368kg and 340kg, that made $1510 and $1500 a head respectively, went to northern Midlands backgrounder.
The Scott family’s The Rocks Angus steers that had EU-accreditation drew special attention, with the heaviest two yards of 31, av 337kg, sold at $1570 while their next two pens comprising 38 head, av 302kg, made $1510, these four yards all claimed by the same repeat northern Midlands buyer in G & B Lindsay of Brucknell at rates between 465c/kg and $5/kg.
VIDEO: Watch the opening lane of sales as live streamed on Beef Central:
From there the market fluctuated between 420c/kg to 460c/kg for pens that weighed at 280kg to 329kg, but on the offering of a half dozen or more further yards of EU-accredited pens the rate was kicked again back to 480-510c/kg as the interstate buying influence stepped forward and the locals stood defiantly to defend their patch.
Among this stanza of sales vendor Gaters sold two pens (22 in each) of August/October-drop EU-Angus, 286kg and 278kg at $1370 and $1390 respectively, The Rocks sold 24 EU-Angus, 267kg at $1280 while Strathroy sold 44 EU-Angus, av 261kg, at $1340.
Two further pens of Gaters EU-Angus, 257kg and 239kg, then became the talking point sold at $1310 and $1300, as the latter surged to a selling rate of 544c/kg.
Elders Albury representatives, Declan Budgie and Matt Tinkler purchased steers and heifers for Upper Murray and north east clients on the day.
Drafts of younger lighter steers weighed between 220 to 250kg then fronted a demand pitched on $1100 to $1170 regards of weight while the smaller grown (180-220kg) steers mostly made $900 to $1050.
The demand for heifers began sedately at 343c/kg to 365c/kg as the first three pens of Angus, 407kg, 380kg and 353kg offered respectively by Glenbarry, Relbia and Huon Holme.
Sold to Ray White Albury, these made $1400, $1380 and $1270 while a further Huon Ridge pen of 18 Angus-Hereford heifers, 301kg made $1110 selling to a local buying interest.
Then entered two fresh NSW buying interest as an order for Tamworth claimed four yards of Angus in the 270 to 280kg weight bracket.
Ben Grubb and his father Beau Grubb sold their annual draft of Strathroy Angus weaners at their best -ever prices to $1340 for steers and $1010 for heifers.
Vendors Wincanton – 12 Angus, 279kg $1070; Ferndale- 114 Angus 280kg $1080; and Killarney- 14 Angus $1070; – all fell to an Elders Tamworth (Killara feedlot) order while a yard of The Rocks EU-Angus, 271kg went to Dundee, NSW priced $1140 or 417c/kg in a haul of about 200 for this destination.
This all resulted in trailing sales eclipsing the $4/kg, including a draft of 59 Echo Cottage Angus, av 262kg, made $1160 (442kg) while 53 of their younger sisters, 221kg, made $1050 (475kg), all claimed by a local backgrounder for the purpose of future breeding.
With the bulk of young heifer weaners weighed between 200kg and 270kg the majority of the better-bred lines were cleared in a price range of $900 to $1100 to conclude one of the best results ever seen at a Tasmanian weaner sale.
Resident MLA market reporter Richard Bailey concluded in his report of the sale saying: “this would definitely be the dearest weaner heifer sale ever seen in Tasmania”.
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