QUALITY young beef cattle remained in buoyant demand which saw values reach $1671 and 494c/kg at the 19th annual S & C Livestock Pinjarra and Districts weaner sale at the Muchea Livestock Centre on December 11.
The Petricevich family and the band of return and new sale vendors yarded an outstanding line-up of steers and heifers which drew plenty of favourable comments prior to the sale.
Slightly more than advertised numbers were penned with a total yarding of 987 straight and crossbred British and European bred calves, attracting strong buying support from local lotfeeders, graziers, live exporters and increased competition from metro butchers on suited feeder lines as they look to sure up beef supplies going into 2021.
For the second year running, the sale incorporated the Muchea Livestock Centre's leg of the WA Charolais Society's 'Silver Calf' competition with numerous top lines of well-bred and grown Charolais infused calves nominated for the sale.
This year's competition was won by Graham and Kath Elliott, GJ Elliott, North Dandalup, with a large and even line of Charolais cross heifers.
Under the control of S & C Livestock auctioneer Cam Petricevich, the sale grossed $1,314,931 for an overall average, across all descriptions, of $1332 per head.
Light steers of 220kg sold to 494c/kg and the heaviest steers at 450kg topped at $1671, while Euro cross heifers weighing from 295kg to 305kg topped the sale at 418c/kg and better mediumweight heifers around 360kg topped at $1468.
The strength of the market 12 months on is highlighted when compared to last year's price ranges of 250-334c/kg and $627-$1202 for beef steers and 150-272c/kg and $292-$1029 for heifers.
This year's top per head price honours went to Venn Pastoral Company, Pinjarra, for a pen of seven Angus cross steers weighing an average 449kg which were knocked down to Jamie Davies, Kalgrains, for $1672 at 372c/kg.
Mr Davies sourced a total of 13 pens of steers ranging from 328kg with some of his other higher prices including $1639 at 416c/kg for eight Charolais cross steers averaging 394kg offered by JVE Tuckey, Dudley Park and $1622 at 390c/kg for a trio of Charolais steers weighing 416kg presented by JSB & MH Currie, Pinjarra.
Michael Borrello, Borrello Beef, Gingin, was kept busy filling butcher and lotfeeder orders and paid to $1608 at 394c/kg for 12 Angus steers averaging 408kg from the Venn Pastoral Company consignment.
One of the sale's larger individual vendors D Manning Family Trust, Serpentine, sold steers to $1599 at 380c/kg for three Angus cross weighing 421kg to Kalgrains, while Graham Brown paid to $1588 at 420c/kg for a single 378kg Angus steer offered by Aurora Prospects Pty Ltd, North Dandalup, which joined several pens of steers and heifers for an export order.
Mr Davies also took a liking to the Angus and Murray Grey cross steers offered by HD & P France, Pinjarra, paying to $1575 at 378c/kg for the sale's opening pen of seven Murray Grey cross steers averaging 417kg.
The Yost family's, Culham Grazing Company and Liberty Charolais stud, Toodyay, Charolais cross steers finished in second place in the Charolais competition and sold to $1413 for a line of eight steers averaging 324kg, purchased by Mr Borrello for 438c/kg.
Liveweight steer values peaked at 494c/kg for a dozen light Red Angus steers weighing 221kg costing active grazier buyer at the sale Andrew Bett, E & SJ Bett & Son, Mundijong, $1089.
The next highest price was bid on two occasions by Alan Neil, AJ Neil, Waroona, who collected several pens of light steers at the top of the market.
First for 11 Angus steers averaging 275kg costing $1296 offered by Rima Poultry Trust, Nowergup and for five Angus steers weighing 268kg at $1263 from Aurora Prospects sale draft.
Mr Neil had earlier paid 470c/kg at $1209 for a pen of six steers containing five Charolais cross averaging 257kg from the paddocks of GJ Elliott and a 267kg Charolais steer at $1297 offered by the Currie family.
Caris Park Grazing, Pinjarra, sourced a couple of pens of lighter steers and paid to 460c/kg for four Blonde d'Aquitaine cross steers averaging 256kg, trucked in by SB Mitchell, Oldbury, to cost $1132.
The sale turned the corner to the run of heifers with the Elliott family again featuring at the top of the market with five Charolais cross heifers weighing 362kg knocked down to Phil Petricevich, S & C Livestock, for a client at the sale's $1468 top price at 406c/kg.
Mr Petricevich went on to secure a few lines of Angus and Angus cross heifers paying to $1462 for eight averaging 377kg offered by the Manning family.
The sale's volume vendors the Parkin family, Bolinda Vale Grazing Pty Ltd, Keysbrook, saw their heifer prices reach $1435 for the section's opening pen of 11 Charolais cross heifers weighing 347kg which also finished in third place in the Charolais competition costing Allen Bentham, Delaney Livestock, 414c/kg.
The McCormack family, Erindoon Trust, Pinjarra, was another prominent buyer of steers and heifers at the sale with a $1431 top heifer price at 388c/kg paid for a duo of Murray Grey heifers weighing 369kg, presented by River Hills Grazing, Coolup.
Liveweight heifer values topped at 418c/kg for Euro cross heifers for three vendors.
Caris Park Grazing Company was first to bid top dollar at $1230 for 10 Charolais heifers weighing 294kg, offered by AS & M Campbell & Son, Cooara Charolais and Angus studs, Keysbrook.
Mr Brown bid 418c/kg for a pen of seven heifers containing six Blonde d'Aquitaine cross averaging 302kg from SB Mitchell and a single 306kg Limousin cross heifer from the Manning family.
The Elliott family's winning draft of 12 Charolais cross heifers weighing 315kg was snapped by Mr Bentham again for 412c/kg and $1296.
Mr Petricevich bid 404c/kg at $1285 for 13 Angus cross heifers weighing 318kg from the Bolinda Vale draft, while Mr Brown paid 402c/kg at $1002 for 12 Red Angus heifers averaging 249kg trucked in by KM & SJ Williamson, Gingin.
