THE quality of the 723 cattle penned at the Elders yearling and weaner sale last week was outstanding, with resulting prices supporting that when a mix of lotfeeders, processors, live exporters, backgrounders and graziers competed.
The yarding was dominated by yearling steers and heifers, with weaned weaners in the minority.
The overall sale averaged $1296, topped at $1576 to gross nearly $937,000, to be right up with the best seen this red hot selling season.
Yearling steers sold to $1576 to top at 360c/kg with similar aged heifers making $1510 and 338c/kg.
Weaner steers topped at $1300 and 412c/kg with heifers actually surpassing this at $1324 and 346c/kg.
Agents quoted these to be up 12 to 15c/kg.
There was a smaller number of buyers in attendance compared to recent sales but the important thing was the dominant buyers were all operating to give the strong result.
The top yearling steers were in the second pen, 10 Angus weighing 529kg sold by Tim Kellett, Henwood, for $1576 when Harvey Beef Farms (HBF) bid to 298c/kg.
The first pen of 11 steers weighing 540kg from Masham Nominees just missed the top price by one dollar when Western Meat Packers (WMP) paid $1575 at 294c/kg.
Another dollar separated the third pen of 12 steers from Morgan and Wallace, Donnybrook, with HBF paying $1574 and 304c/kg for the 518kg steers.
HBF dominated the early lines, taking cattle from Rossiter-McLaren at $1509, 14 weighing 493kg sold by VA Edwards for $1529 as well as other lines during the sale.
Graham Brown, buying for Otway Exports, bought several pens to a top of $1508 for 10 steers weighing 433kg from TH & L Gibbs, Dardanup.
John Gallop snapped up the two pens of grey steers sold account MR & JL Piggott, paying to $1472 and 324c/kg.
Also selling grey cattle was D Hollins, with the four 497kg steers going to HBF for $1492 and 300c/kg.
One of the vendors with numbers was MJ & CH Bleechmore, Boyup Brook, with several Charolais and Shorthorn cross steers reaching $1478 with lighter weights selling to 340c/kg.
HBF and Otway Exports shared the spoils on these.
Mr Gallop found the three pens of steers from DJ & L Klein suitable for his client, O'Meehan & Co, taking the three pens between $1432 and $1466 to 352c/kg.
The top of 360c/kg was paid for four turnover steers from MK Barnes, Waterloo, and were bought by Masham Nominees, the sellers of the first pen.
The best of the few lines of weaner steers were eight Murray Greys from Eldridge Farm with the 363kg steers bought by Willowbank, Benger, for $1300.
The few of these all sold from 358c/kg to a top of 412c/kg for the lightest steers weighing 242kg, sold to Willowbank.
Other buyers included JL Piscioneri, Elders Boyanup agent Mal Barrett and Galati Trust.
HBF continued strongly on the heavy heifers as well, buying the first three lines, account WACA Harvey for $1376 and $1326 followed by six from T & S Kirkpatrick for $1332, for up to 288c/kg.
Semini Enterprises, Treeton, was active all day, paying to $1321 and 302c/kg for Kirkpatrick heifers.
Callanish Grazing, Donnybrook, sold the top-priced heifer, weighing 510kg with HBF bidding to 296c/kg and $1509.
Another heifer from this vendor sold to Willowbank for $1469.
Seven pens of Charolais cross heifers from MJ & C Bleechmore, Boyup Brook, attracted competition, with HBF paying the top of $1334 at 288c/kg for 12 heifers weighing 463kg.
Willowbank account three and GJ Watt also secured Bleechmore cattle.
Sue Daly, Donnybrook, had several pens for sale, with her five Charolais heifers averaging 428kg making $1438 when bought by HBF at 306c/kg.
A line of 13 heifers weighing 439kg from D Hollins were headed for the feedlot when bought by GJ Watt at 330c/kg and $1448.
Girrahween Grazing, from Murray River area, sold several pens of heifers, with the top six Santa Gertrudis cross heifers weighing 475kg making $1225 when bought by HBF.
Girrahween Grazing later sold the top heifers for 330c/kg when GJ Watt outlaid $1324 for the 22 in the pen.
Ten Hereford cross weaner heifers, Yallaroo blood, from Brad and Nikki McGinty's Dardanup country, sold for $1278 at 330c/kg when bought by Willowbank.
The top of 346c/kg was paid by Galati Trust for a pen of 10 Charolais heifers weighing 272kg from Sue Daly, with these returning $942.
Two Angus cross heifers sold by G & VJ Willis, Capel, weighed 377kg and were the only pen purchased by Welldon Beef, Williams, at 334c/kg and $1261.
