Beef heifer sale up to average $2535

Despite a modest yarding total of 120 PTIC Angus heifers, the quality of the catalogue wasn't jeopardised with sale co-ordinator Brad McDonnell, Elders Manjimup and Pemberton, and his clients selecting an extremely high standard of PTIC Angus all tested free of Pestivirus and all syncro AI mated and backed up to quality Angus bulls with February-March calvings.

At the completion of selling, the Elders selling team steered by auctioneer Alec Williams, Elders Margaret River, had notched up a complete clearance of the 120-head catalogue for an overall average of $2535.

With cattle producers enjoying the fruits of a buoyant beef market, buyers raised their sights on their heifer selections and boosted values from last year's sale with a $535 jump in average for heifers of the same description.

At last year's sale, PTIC Angus heifers sold for an average of $2000 with values topping at $2075.

History repeated itself as last year's top price scenario played out again with BR & TL Styles, Manjimup, bidding the sale's $2850 top price for a pen of heifers from the Ryan family's draft, Warren Valley Farm, Pemberton.

The line of five PTIC Angus heifers were the first heifers into the sale ring.

The Styles family bided their time until lot nine before paying $2650 for five heifers and a further five in lot 18 at $2550, all from the Ryan family.

Another return buyer of the Ryan family's heifers Tempra Brothers, Manjimup, paid the sale's $2800 equal second top price for a line of six joined heifers and a few pens later, successfully bid $2600 for a further four heifers from the Ryan draft.

Also paying $2800 for their selections was TWT Dickson, Nannup, with five new heifers from the Ryan family added to their breeding herd.

The next highest price of $2750 was paid on two occasions.

First to pay was M & M Palermo, Manjimup, for four heifers from the Ryan family draft while CR & EA Bradbury, Manjimup, took a liking to the lineup of Angus heifers offered by Boorara Plains, Northcliffe, and paid $2750 for a pen of six while Summertime Farms, Karridale, outlaid $2700 for a line of six Boorara Plains heifers.

Lake Janis Produce, Quinninup, was the sale's volume vendor with a total draft of 60 PTIC Angus heifers.

Sam Velios Family Trust, Manjimup, sourced two pens of these heifers paying to $2600 for a pen of six while G & I Young also paid $2600 for a single pen of six Lake Janis Produce heifers.

Rutherglen Farming, Manjimup, was the sale's volume buyer, collecting four pens totalling 23 heifers and paid a $2550 top price for the second draft of six heifers into the sale ring offered by Lake Janis Produce.

Elders Manjimup representative Cameron Harris said good quality cattle sold to solid values.

"Vendors presented a quality lineup of PTIC Angus heifers from the local region which attracted widespread buying support extending from Karridale through to Kojonup," he said.