The emphasis on herd rebuilding in response to improved seasonal conditions across Australia has translated into record prices at several spring bulls sales already this year.

The southern bull selling season is now one month old and prices have reflected solid levels of confidence among bull buyers.

At the mid-point of this year’s Angus spring bull selling season, price averages are currently running 20pc higher than last year.

The Millwillah Angus sale at Young, NSW, last week broke a national Angus price record that had stood for nine years when it achieved an average of $8637.

The ink was not close to dry on that record when Millah Murrah Angus of Bathurst, NSW, bettered it with an average of $8850 just a few days later.

Millah Murrah stud principals Ross and Dimity Thompson who have over 20 years experience breeding Angus said the high costs of seedstock production were paying off for Angus producers this year.

“We used to calculate 10 weaner steers equals the value of one decent commercial bull.  There seems to have been a correction and this is the case once more,” Mr Thompson said.

The Angus Society of Australia reported yesterday that the national Angus bull average this year was tracking at $5648 so far – up from $4686 in 2010, or 20.5pc.

The annual run of spring Santa Gertrudis bull sales also got underway last week with one of the first cabs off the rank, the Yugilbar Santa Gertrudis stud at Baryulgil, NSW, recording its second highest gross at auction to date of $584,940. 

The top 30 bulls of the sale averaged $6266, with the $13,000 top price bull Yulgilbar Enrique selling to the Linlands and Santa Park  Santa Gertrudis studs at Toowoomba in Southern Queensland.

Charolais sales have also been underway since late August with notable results including an $8303 average for 109 Charolais bulls sold by David and Prue Bondfield, Palgrove Charolais Stud, Dalveen, Qld, on August 26 and a $7154 average for 71 bulls sold by the Price family’s Moongool Charolais Stud from Yuelba, Qld yesterday.

* Keep up to date with the stud selling season with Beef Central's stud sales calendar here