Part of a line of 220 Droughtmaster and Brahman cross steers from the Tennant Creek region that sold for 300c/kg to a Darwin livex operator on Friday

AUCTIONSPLUS again created competitive tension for between live export buyers and southern backgrounders for a large line of northern young steers on Friday.

A single line of 220 Droughtmaster cross and Brahman cross steers from the Tennant Creek region in the Northern Territory sold to a live export operator out of Darwin for 300c/kg live on farm or 340c including freight ($775/head).

Offered by I &S Nominees & Australian Green Properties, Murray Downs/Epenarra Stations, the 10-24 month old, mostly milk tooth steers averaged 259 kg, with a range from 200-362kg. Although normally sold to a repeat buyer for backgrounding/growing purposes, this year the steers will make the 1000km journey north to Darwin for the boat trade.

Cattle numbers in Friday’s AuctionsPlus sales fell away a little, with 7025 head offered, down 21pc on the week before – although the prior sale included the large Hartley Angus herd dispersal. Numbers out of parts of NSW were lower, while there was an increase in numbers out of some parts of Queensland.

All steers sold in weight ranges up to 300kg made 300c/kg or better.

A larger number of heavy steers was sold throughout the two AuctionsPlus sales, with the top yearling steers making 326c/$1465 for a line of 46 Angus x Hereford steers 15-27 months, 449kg, from Newton Partnership, Strathmore, Walgett, NSW.

A line of 102 Droughtmaster cross backgrounder steers, 283kg out of Tambo, Central Qld, EU eligible, made $1045, while a line of 120 lighter Droughtmaster backgrounder steers from Springsure, 195kg at 9-12 months, made $705. Their heifer equivalents, totalling 120 head, averaging 186kg, made $545.

These Angus x Hereford steers 15-27 months, 449kg, from Strathmore, Walgett, NSW made 326c/$1465

A line of 104 Charolais x Angus steers 12-16 months at 424kg from St George, Qld, made $1398, while a mob of 102 Angus steers, 16 months and 373kg, from Bundarra on the NSW northern Tablelands made 376c/kg or $1404/head.

Two lines of Poll Hereford weaned steers totalling 120 head from Scone in the NSW Hunter, 323kg and 261kg live, made $1195 and $960 respectively, while 190 well-grown backgrounder Angus steers 10-12 months 334kg from Henwood family Trust, Howlong, Hay, NSW made $1160.

High numbers of unjoined heifers sold in with two neat lines from NSW making 345c/$960 and one lot from QLD making 328c/$980. Two lots totalling 106 head of NSM Angus heifers, 14-15 months and 442kg live, from Coonabarabran NSW made $1300.

PTIC female numbers offered were lower, but young heifers under two years sold well, averaging $1468. Larger cow and calve numbers on offer with 5-9-year-old cows averaging $1717. The top price of the sale reaching $2100 for four year old Angus cows and calves from Wellington, NSW.

Wagyu x Angus feeder heifers 13-24 months 281kg from Blayney, NSW made a cracking 582c/$1634 with the equivalent line of steers 13-15 months 306kg making 584c/$1786 in a strong result.

In a breakdown of the sale by weightrange:

• Steers weighing less than 250kg made 334c to 454c averaging 384c, up 9c from the previous week; while heifers in the same weight range made 293-439c averaging 336c, up 14c
• Steers 250-299kg made 340-379c averaging 361c, up 4c from the previous week, while heifers made 267-345c averaging 313c, unchanged
• Steers 300-350kg made 310-370c, down 7c, while heifers made 291-340c, averaging 313c, down 3c
• Steers over 350kg made 297-376c, averaging 333c, down 1c, while heavy heifers made from 287-353c, averaging 305c, slightly up from the previous week.