WODONGA WEANER SALE
Date: January 06, 2021
Agents: Independent Agents
EYCI: 758.75c/kg
Feeder steer average: 474c/kg LWT (EYCI rating +64 points)
SUMMARY: 2524 head
ALL STEERS: 450KG+ to $2180, av 454c/kg; 360-450KG $1770-2070, av 474c/kg; 280-360KG: $1480-$1805, AV 518c/kg.
ALL HEIFERS: 360-450KG $1670-$1960, av 436c/kg, 280-360kg, $1380-$1880 av 481c/kg
Tim Scott, Table Top Angus, Table Top, NSW, was amazed at his $1740/head price for a draft of pure Table Top-blood 14-16 month-old Angus heifers sold as surplus to requirement.
NORTHERN inquiry for black beef steers displayed no bounds on Day 2 of the Wodonga weaner sales when prices firmed to top at $2070 a head.
Rising an average of 10-cents a kilogram on the previous day’s opening sales, heavy black steers were sold mostly in a range of $1770 to $1990 or 460 to 500c/kg, with a modest display of older yearling-off and grown steers fetching a sale high $2180.
Lighter weight steer calves, however, were the primary focus of a larger presence of northern buyers at-the-rail. Their values surged by an average 20c/kg of the previous day’s market to sell mostly from $1620 to $1800 at rates of 500 to 540c/kg.
Corcoran Parker auctioneer Leigh McEvoy said a great selection of yearling-off and grown steers, and the inclusion of a several drafts of EU-accredited lines helped set the base to the competition up nice.
“There were also many more weaned cattle through the yarding, which the buyers wanted, and this helped the sale to flow” Mr McEvoy said.
Watch Beef Central’s post-sale interview with Leigh McEvoy, Corcoran Parker:
Brian Unthank Rural (BUR) auctioneer, Gerard Unthank agreed and said the depth of the northern inquiry was quite amazing.
“Their physical presence at the sale appeared to put the online steer bidders on the backfoot” Mr Unthank said.
“Yes, northern support was the largest we’re had at Wodonga for a good number of years.
“It was tremendous, “truly amazing, “nonetheless there was still a lot online bidding and they had most success on the heifers”.
Statistics released by the online provider – Stocklive – revealed 40 percent of the day’s catalogue had attracted bids from online, with 506 head being sold via the platform (410 heifers, 96 steers) at a value of $826k.
This activity resulted from 285 logged-on viewers and 33 active bidders.
Opening the grown steer sale, a pen of 14 Angus, 438kg, aged 12-14 months, made $2000 for Becker Saleeze of Burrumbuttock while yard of 13 Carabobala, Culcairn Angus, 412kg, aged 14-15 months made $1880, for both to realize 456c/kg.
Watch the opening lane of sales:
Further back in the grown steers run a draft of 36 Angus, 415kg, aged 14-16 months offered by Galbraith, Khancoban made $1930 or 465c/kg while Mt Elliott Grazing, Corryong sold 14 Angus, 485kg, 14-15 months at the sale top of $2180 or 450c/kg.
The selling of weaners commenced on a run of EU-accredited stock.
Judged as the market best presented yard was a draft of 93 Dunoon-blood Angus, 401kg, from JA & ST Adams, Staghorn Flat made $1920. These realized 479c/kg while the Adam’s second pen, a yard of 34, 341kg made $1745 or 512c/kg.
BM & BM Campbell, Koetong also offered an EU-accredited lot – 64 Angus, 404kg, with Jarobee and Ardrossan-bloodlines. These made $1870 while The Cascades Pastoral, Tallangatta Valley, sold 22 Angus, 375kg, Lawson and Dunoon-blood, at $1850 or 493c/kg.
Ringing the bell as the best priced weaners was a pen of 10 months-old Dunoon-blood Angus, 433kg, from JC & JM Maddock, Staghorn Flat. These were sold at $2070 a head or 478c/kg while CR & PM Sharp, Braemar sold 436kg Angus steers, 436kg at $2050.
Other larger sales of note include 48 Angus, 383kg, sold account GL & DR Macaulay, Huon at $1860 (485c), with a 2nd-pen of the same, 33 Angus, 323kg, sold at $1730 (535c).
16-year-old Emma Kee, watched on by her father and NVLX manager, Tim Kee, literally has held Wodonga heifer sales in her hands as bids flowed via the Stocklive online bidding platform where more than half of the heifer lots have been sold.
KA & JB Klemm, Londrigan sold 49 Angus, 361kg at $1840 (510c) while vendor Narracalca Partnership, Coolac sold 34 Angus, Narracalca and Reiland-blood, 389kg, at $1880.
The sisters of Narracalca steers, weighed at 352kg became the focus as premium-quality future breeders.
They drew the market top for heifer weaners selling also $1880 (530c) – same money as their steer brothers – as they headed south to Colac in Western Victoria as the foundation to a new beef breeding enterprise.
The Colac order also selected a nicely bred pen of 12 McKenzie McHarg Angus, Jarobee-blood, 398kg paying $1800 or 452kg.
Other keenly sought-after heifers pen included 26 KM & HJ Keenan Angus, 477kg, 14-15 months, that made $1970 a head while JC & JM Maddock, Staghorn Flat sold 12-14-month Angus, 434kg at $1960.
The demand for heifers was again well supported both on-line and at the rail to establish a market based on 440-450kg for heavier weights and 460-480c/kg for most lighter, with selected sales higher.
The sale, which was conducted by independent agents PRL/Rodwells, Corcoran Parker, BUR Livestock and Schubert Boers, grossed $4.325m and averaged $1717 ahead.
Successful buyers traveled from Dubbo, Tamworth, Bunnaloo, Narrandera, Dunedoo, Cootamundra, and Glen Inness while cattle were also trucked interstate to Coonamble, North Star and Yass in NSW, west into South Australia.
Local area Victorian buyers also defended their patch admirably with Wangaratta and local valleys restockers the most active.
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