INDEPENDENT Rural Agents Pemberton capped a successful 2018 with strong results at its 27th annual elite weaner, vealer and breeder AuctionsPlus sale on Monday of last week.
IRA Pemberton principal and level one professional assessor Colin Thexton and his loyal band of clients put together an extensive catalogue of 1746 beef cattle for the longest running annual online sale in the country.
And with about 95 per cent of the catalogue carrying Lawsons Angus breeding, it is the biggest single offering of commercial Lawsons Angus cattle ever offered in Australia.
A big crowd of sale vendors and interested onlookers were on hand at the Pemberton Sports Club to view the sale live on the big screen hosted by AuctionsPlus team members Alexa Hearn and Michael Corcoran.
And many left with a spring in their step with the buoyant market returning better than expected values for their calves and females.
Following 2598 catalogue views, 69 online log-ins, two hours of live selling and 534 bids, the 20 active buyers had played their final hands and the sale came to a close, to gross more than $1.9 million and averaged $1113 across the sale.
Mixed sex vealers sold to 542.5c/kg dressed weight and $1281 per head and weaned calves sold to 328.1c/kg liveweight and $1215 for steers and 324.4c/kg and $1095 for heifers.
Mixed sex yearlings topped at $1302, PTIC heifers returned $2000 and a big line of processing cows made $1357. (All prices are on-farm with no curfew or freight deductions).
Mr Thexton said it was an outstanding result and he couldn’t be happier for the vendors.
“They are deserving results for the vendors’ commitment to producing cattle the market demands and they got rewarded,” he said.
“They are supplying the complete package, in regards to the type of cattle, genetics and animal health.
“There was a massive audience with the amount of catalogue views and the large numbers of repeat and new buyers to the sale.
“I sincerely thank the buyers for their continued support, without them we have nothing and buying competition is everything.”
Mr Thexton said the sale was a great way to finish a successful year for IRA after the incredible achievements of its clients’ cattle in the national carcase competition at Beef 2018 at Rockhampton, Queensland, earlier this year.
Weaners
Steer and heifer weaners made up the majority of the sale descriptions.
Two lines of Angus steers made $1215 with Jarrahlea Pty Ltd, Mayanup and DW & MA Radomiljac, Pemberton, sharing top-price per head honours.
Jarrahlea’s line consisted of 27 Angus steers aged eight to nine months and weighing 413kg that sold for 294.2c/kg, while Radomiljac’s 25 9-10mo old Angus steers averaged 383.3kg and returned 317c/kg.
JCC Love Family Trust, Northcliffe, sold 24 Angus steers 8-10mo and weighing 376.6kg for $1205 and 320c/kg as did the last remaining original sale vendor G & B Bendotti, Pemberton, with 44 Angus steers of the same age and weighing 373kg selling for 323.1c/kg.
Other strong per head steer weaner prices included Southwest Timbers , Northcliffe, making $1185 and 305.1c/kg for 17 9-11mo Angus steers weighing 388.4kg.
Meerup Breeze Grazing, Northcliffe, returned $1170 and 317.9c/kg for 27 Angus steers 7-8mo and averaging 368kg and Mayanup Progress Association pocketed $1150 and 321.6c/kg for 14 Angus steers weighing 357.6kg and aged 7-9mo.
Bragging rights for the sale’s top feeder liveweight price went to Balingup graziers MR & EM Walker with 12 Angus steers aged 7-8mo, averaging 324.6kg making 328.1c/kg and $1065.
New sale vendor AJ & WJ Ryan, Pemberton, sold 24 Angus steers aged 7-8mo and weighing 317.5kg for 327.6c/kg and $1040 and a big line of 89 Angus steers aged 7-8mo weighing 343.9kg that sold for 327.1c/kg and $1125.
TP & GL Collins, Northcliffe, made 326.6c/kg and $1105 for 33 6-7mo Angus steers averaging 338.3c/kg while 54 7-8mo Angus steers averaging 340.6kg from BJ & KA Halcup, Quinninup, sold for 325.9c/kg and $1110.
The $1095 top-priced weaner heifers went to R & M Humphrey, Quinninup, for 14 7-8mo Angus heifers weighing 337.5kg that also realised the top liveweight price of 324.4c/kg.
A line of 26 Angus heifers aged 8-9mo and weighing 360.2kg from G & B Bendotti sold for $1090 and 302.6c/kg while Bluestream Properties, Northcliffe, made $1065 and 283.9c/kg for eight Angus heifers aged 8-10mo and averaging 375.1kg.
Numerous lines of heifers at the sale were purchased for future breeding.
Vealers
The vealer market reached $1281 for a large line of 77 Angus steer vealers from G & B Bendotti.
The 9-11mo steers averaging 238.3kg sold for 537.6c/kg dressed weight.
Bluestream Holdings returned $1271 and 526.7c/kg DWT for 33 10-11mo Angus steer vealers averaging 241.3c/kg DWT while Meerup Breeze Grazing’s nine 8-10mo Angus mixed sex vealers weighing 239.5kg DWT realised $1243 and 518.8c/kg DWT.
A line of 16 Angus steers aged 9-10mo weighing 216.6c/kg DWT from PW & SM Barnsby, Northcliffe, topped the dressed weight prices at 542.5c/kg and $1175 while the Love family received 537c/kg DWT for 44 7-8mo Angus steer vealers averaging 222.9c/kg DWT.
Yearlings
East Manjimup graziers Arbuthnot Nominees offered two lines of mixed sex yearlings of mainly Angus with some Angus-Murray Greys.
An older heavier draft of 27 16-18mo yearlings weighing 252.1kg DWT sold for 516.3c/kg DWT while a younger lighter draft of 34 12-14mo yearlings averaging 395.1kg LW sold for $1110.
PTIC heifers
Well known producer of PTIC heifers for the sale, PW & SM Barnsby, Pemberton, returned with an offering of 81 PTIC Angus heifers.
The 19-21mo heifers are due to commence calving to Lawsons Angus bulls at the end of February 2019.
They were offered in six lines of one ear mark and sold for $2000.
Processing cows
A syndicate of local producers joined forces to offer one big line of 70 cull Angus cows for processing. The cows, from five sale vendor properties, averaged 356.9kg DWT and sold for 356.9c/kg DWT.