FOLLOWING a six-month spell, Nutrien Livestock's monthly store cattle sales returned to the Muchea Livestock Centre last week with gusto to record an outstanding result on the eve of a new financial year.
The Nutrien Livestock team yarded 986 local and pastoral yearling and weaner steers and heifers which sold to buoyant grazier and feeder support to average $1400 overall, reflecting the continued strength of the State's store cattle market and the quality drafts of both local and pastoral cattle presented at the sale.
Local beef cattle mostly came from the northern agricultural regions and the Gingin surrounding areas while pastoral drafts descended from the Gascoyne, Pilbara, Goldfields and Central Midlands regions.
A number of the State's lotfeeders and South West and Wheatbelt graziers battled it out and encountered stiff competition from online buyers.
The sale was again interfaced on AuctionsPlus with three WA buyers joining a New South Wales account in successfully acquiring cattle online.
AuctionsPlus attracted 33 registered bidders logged in locally and from NSW, Victoria, Queensland and South Australia, resulting in 165 online bids placed across 35 pens with 16 successfully purchased online.
In summary locally bred British breed weaner steers averaged 580 cents per kilogram and corresponding weaner heifers averaged 549c/kg.
In the pastoral section Droughtmaster weaner steers averaged 458c/kg and heifers averaged 470c/kg with Shorthorn types averaging 363c/kg.
The sale kicked off with a decent number of local beef steers with the section's $1902 top per head price paid for the second pen offered containing six Red Angus steers weighing 366kg from Howatharra Grazing, Howatharra.
The steers were purchased by Rob Gibbings, Elders Capel, for 520c/kg on behalf of a southern lotfeeding order.
The next highest price of $1901 at 450c/kg was paid by a Wheatbelt lotfeeder operating on AuctionsPlus for six Angus steers averaging 423kg offered by LW Bookham & Co, Piawaning.
Dean Ryan, Central Stockcare, buying for an Eastern Wheatbelt feeder order paid $1892 at 546c/kg for the following pen of seven Angus steers weighing 346kg from the Bookham draft.
A WA processor operating online secured several drafts of mediumweight beef steers paying to $1854 at 560c/kg for 17 Red Angus steers weighing 331kg also from Howatharra Grazing,
Greg Neaves, Nutrien Livestock, Gingin, representing a Central Wheatbelt buyer paid to $1783 at 562c/kg for 11 Angus steers averaging 317kg offered by Mt Samuel, Mingenew.
Volume vendor in the beef section FL & MJ Dewar, Guilderton, topped liveweight values with a pen of their lighter four Angus steers weighing 176kg knocked down to Ben Kealy, Nutrien Livestock, Williams, for a local grazier order to cost $1156.
Mr Kealy continued to pay top liveweight values for his lighter steer selections including 644c/kg and 638c/kg for two lines of 21 Dewar Angus steers each averaging 220kg and 221kg to cost $1418 and $1410 respectively and 618c/kg for five Angus steers weighing 236kg from the Mt Samuel draft.
Kevin Armstrong, Willowbank, Benger, also paid stronger liveweight prices for his steers including 614c/kg for 21 Angus steers averaging 257kg to return Tebco Fishing, Dongara, $1579.
Beef heifers eclipsed their male counterparts for the sale's $1985 top-price honours with five mixed heifers averaging 369kg offered by WM & SL Cail, Gingin, knocked down to Mr Armstrong for 538c/kg on behalf of an order.
The next highest price of $1778 at 504c/kg was paid by the Wheatbelt online buyer for seven Red Angus heifers weighing 353kg from Howatharra Grazing with a large line of 32 heifers averaging 322kg also from this vendor, snapped up by Mr Armstrong at $1688 and 524c/kg for an order.
Mr Armstrong also paid $1644 at 540c/kg for a line of 16 Angus heifers weighing 304kg from the Mt Samuel draft and $1626 at 540c/kg for 22 Angus heifers weighing 301kg offered by Tebco Fishing.
Mr Kealy also took a liking to the Dewar family's Angus heifers paying top liveweight dollar for his selections including 628c/kg for 37 heifers averaging 220kg to cost $1384 and 622c/kg for 24 heifers weighing 217kg to cost $1349.
Ty Miller, Nutrien Livestock, Wickepin, sourced several lines of feeder/backgrounding cattle for a local order and paid to 606c/kg for eight Dewar Angus heifers averaging 179kg to cost $1087.
Pastoral steer numbers were limited compared to heifers with prices topping at $1921 for 22 Droughtmaster steers weighing 423kg offered by Robbro Pty Ltd, Gingin, which were knocked down to the online NSW buyer for 454c/kg, one of four lines of pastoral steers heading east.
A South West feeder operating online paid the next highest price of $1848 at 420c/kg for two steers weighing 440kg and $1812 at 442c/kg for four steers averaging 410kg, both from the Robbro Droughtmaster draft.
Badgingarra grazier C Harvey & Co's Shorthorn steers topped the pastoral steer liveweight values at 510c/kg for a single Shorthorn steer weighing 220kg costing Mr Neaves $1122 for his Wheatbelt order while Allen Bentham, Delaney Livestock Services, paid the next highest price of 500c/kg at $1100 for two steers also weighing 220kg.
Mr Bentham earlier paid 494c/kg for two Droughtmaster steers weighing 280kg to cost $1383 offered by BW & AE Garrett, Irwin, while Caris Park Grazing Company, Pinjarra, bid 490c/kg for 23 Droughtmaster steers averaging 318kg, returning Haseley Stud, Carnarvon, $1556.
The fixture finished with strong numbers of pastoral heifers with a duo of Droughtmaster heifers weighing 438kg from the Garrett family sale draft topping values at $1750 going to NSW at 400c/kg.
Craig Walker, Nutrien Livestock, Mid West and Wheatbelt, secured the section's opening three lines of Droughtmaster heifers from Haseley Stud paying to $1668 at 472c/kg for six heifers averaging 353kg and the 560c/kg top liveweight price for a line of 22 heifers averaging 263kg to cost $1471.
Mr Ryan paid the next highest price of $1380 at 410c/kg for a trio of Garrett Droughmaster heifers weighing 337kg.
Several buyers took the opportunity to stock up with multiple drafts of pastoral heifers.
Mr Bookham secured nine pens of heifers paying to $1294 at 394c/kg for three Droughtmaster heifers weighing 328kg from the Garrett draft.
Mr Miller filled the truck with seven pens of heifers paying to $1134 at 408c/kg for 10 Droughtmaster heifers averaging 278kg offered by one of the larger sale vendors Davies River Pastoral Partnership, Noreena Downs station, Newman.
Adam Becker, ABL, sourced four pens of heifers for an Eastern Wheatbelt order including two pens of Santa Gertrudis-Shorthorn heifers from the large draft offered by Kinclaven Pastoral Company, Rawlinna.
Sale summary:
Local beef steers: 450-656c/kg ($1156-$1902)
Local beef heifers: 406-628c/kg ($1078-$1985)
Pastoral steers: 380-510c/kg ($950-$1921)
Pastoral heifers: 334-560c/kg ($627-$1750)
What the agent said:
NUTRIEN Livestock AuctionsPlus level one assessor and sale co-ordinator Simon Green said Nutrien Livestock's first store sale for the year at Muchea was a success for all vendors involved.
"Prices were well up compared to previous weeks' trade sales," he said.
"The sale was again interfaced with AuctionsPlus and saw four successful purchasers online.
"Buyers again made comment on the quality of the cattle presented by Nutrien Livestock agents on sale day.
"We are feeling the flow on affect already with 1700 quality cattle already nominated for Nutrien Livestock's next store sale at Muchea on July 23, 2021.
"To nominate, please contact your Nutrien Livestock agent."
