SUMMARY: 3618 head
WEANER STEERS: 360-425kg: $1083-$11468, Av 327c/kg; 280-360KG; $844-$1195, Av 323c/kg; 200-280KG: $520-$864 Av 300c/kg.
EYCI: 498.25c/kg
Agents: Independent group
A massive 64 percent of a 3620-strong Angus steer yarding will depart the state of Victoria following the first day of selling at Hamilton’s annual beef weaner sales.
Northern-based lot feeders dominated the opening day’s competition, with two orders, in particular, Kerwee and NH Foods-Whyalla trucking cattle to their respective yards at Jondaryan and Texas on Queensland’s Darling Downs: a distance of some 1750kms.
Other northern-based feeders, including Elders Killara feedlot, Quirindi, NSW, RC McKenzie feedlot Bunnaloo, NSW and the Bob Jamieson Agencies sponsored Nullamanna Feedlot at Inverall, NSW were also prominent first-day buyers while the Ogilvie Group, Lucindale, SA and live exporter, Landmark International underpinned prices at the lighter end of the market.
Victorian support was best served by agents from Leongatha, Warragul, and the Mornington Peninsula in the state’s east and Warrnambool and Hamilton in the west.
South Australian feedlot interest was also freely offered by Thomas Foods, Murray Bridge and Princes Royal Station, Burra.
Overall the 3618 head yarding averaged 346.3kg which in spite of the strong finish to the western districts season was two kilograms less than 12 months ago and 11kg lighter than the 2018 Angus steer yarding.
Opening the sale Hamilton agents offered by auction a 2.5-litre package of Dectromax cattle drench in lieu of its best presented yard award the proceeds of which will support the bushfire appeal.
The pack, which was donated by Zoetis, raised $1600 on a bid placed by Hamilton agency, LMB Linke.
Commencing the sale proper it quickly became evident that weight would be king and EU-accredited lines would command unprecedented premiums of 20-25c/kg.
Watch the opening lane of sales:
Watch this live coverage of Hamilton Angus weaner sale where 3620 steers are penned, overall average weight of 346kg
Posted by Beef Central on Sunday, January 5, 2020
As a result, the opening yard of the line-up – an EU-accredited yard weighed at 415kg made 341c/kg or $1416/head while the second-offered lot, also EU-accredited, 401kg, made 343c/kg or $1375.
Offered by Camp Creek and Mountview, these were sold respectively to NH Foods and Princes Royal Station while the outright top dollar honors went to Coffey Partnership for an EU-yard, 427kg, that made 344c/kg and realized $1469/head.
Other EU-accredited heavier pens frequently made upwards of 335c/kg (lighter lots from 315c/kg) while non-EU heavier pens (360kg plus) varied in price between 302 and 321c/kg, and lighter lots 300 to a best of 332c/kg.
LMB Linke auctioneer, Bernie Grant told Beef Central the EU-premium was the largest seen at a Hamilton weaner series since the scheme began 20-plus years ago.
Video interview with Bernie Grant
Watch this summary of the first day of selling from the Hamilton weaner sales with Beef Central’s Murray Arnel and LMB Linke auctioneer Bernie Grant.
Posted by Beef Central on Monday, January 6, 2020
The premium last year he said was about 10 to 12c/kg and the year previous it was next to nothing so the premium was unprecedented.
He also said the demand from interstate especially from the northern feedyards had never been witnessed at this level before.
“That’s a lot of cattle to leave this area” said Heath Templeton of Southern Grampians Livestock principal on hearing the 64 percent haul by the out-of-state operators.
“But we have taken a lot of cattle from interstate so the circle of supply is being completed” he said.
Generally speaking, all buyers sang the praise of the high quality yarding, with one in particular suggesting there would not be one truckload equal to its quality throughout the whole of NSW.
Selling will continue Tuesday with an Elders and Landmark sale of 2300 Angus, Hereford and Euro-breed steers starting at noon. This will be preceded by a combined agent Elders and Landmark Angus steer yarding of 2800 starting at 9am.
Other leading sales included:
IS & H Brown – 30 Angus (EU) 411kg, 343c/kg, $1409
Cadell – 32 Angus (EU) 408kg, 342c/kg, $1395
Winninburn – 21 Angus (EU) 403kg, 342c/kg, $1378
Coffey Partnership – 43 Angus (EU), 341c/kg, $1357
EJC Cameron & Sons – 23 Angus (EU), 341c/kg, $1357
Grassland – 21 Angus, 408kg, 322c/kg, $1313
Glenlea – 18 Angus 409kg, 321c/kg, $1312
Mount Napier – 24 Angus 402kg, 325c/kg, $1306
Harton Hills – 18 Angus 400kg, 321c/kg, $1284
Camp Creek – 75 Angus (EU) 377kg, 340c/kg, $1281
PICTURES:
Property sold: Kingsley Peach and son Peter Peach sold their final draft of Angus steers from their Byaduk property, Comly Park
Rain deficient: Despite a strong finish to the spring, Richard Page says rainfall received over his Penshurst property Hillsend was 250 mm below it’s 725mm average. He said the year started very dry but a mild winter with few frost and spring falls that just kept giving saw his Angus weaners finish strongly and weighing up to a top of 372 kg.
Delighted: Receiving almost 20c/kg more than expected Michael Coffey, Port Fairy, was more than happy with his market topping price of $1469.57 a head for his lead draft of Angus steers, 427kg that made 344c/kg.
Perfect Timing: Spring rainfall that had perfect timing saw Mount Napier breeder, Brett “Nugget” Linke enjoy one of his best ever finishes to his growing season on just 500mm of rainfall. Before that it was very tough he said.
Wanted Weight: Southern Qld lot feeder, George Lubbe engaged the services of Chris Stanley, Stan Stanley Livestock to purchase three trucks of steers at the Kerwee Feedlot, Jondaryan on the Darling Downs. The order sought strong weaned cattle with weight (350kg) and some with EU accreditation.
I think these quotes are a long way according to A+ results. There were 173 calves a/c Coffey that averaged $1909