WELL over advertised numbers were penned at the Elders Boyanup store cattle sale last Friday when almost 1600 quality animals were offered, grossing $2,468 million to average $1553.
Cattle from the South West region showed the benefit of the longer growing season in weight and quality, while stock from out of this region trucked to the sale did not have the same weight or bloom, but appealed to graziers.
Following the red hot pre-June 30 sales, values overall did ease a little but still saw vendors pleased with their returns.
Beef steers selling liveweight topped at $2510, actually $2 above the June result, but lower in cents per kilogram with lightweights topping at 580c/kg, indicating being heavier animals.
The beef cross steers sold strongly to record a high of $2438 and 570c/kg, up almost $100 per head.
Beef heifers were in low numbers, selling to $2044, well down but reaching 554c/kg which was 30c/kg up, showing lower weights.
Heavier Friesian steers sold to $2192 and 468c/kg, while a handful of beef steers of poddie size sold like hot cakes to lift to 730c/kg to make up to $1608.
Appraisal Friesian steers sold to $1390, while dairy poddies took the major drop when selling to $1100, with these of lesser quality when compared with other sales.
Just a single cow and calf were offered and this sold for $2750.
Competition was spread between South West graziers, feedlots, especially Princess Royal Trading, South Australia, with Harvey Beef also among the major buyers.
Elders agents buying for feedlots and grazier clients added constant competition.
The beef steers topped early when 10 Angus cross from Sunsure Pty Ltd sold to Kookabrook Livestock for $2510 when the 603kg steers sold at 416c/kg.
Close to this were 14 weighing 578kg that started the sale, making $2443 when bought by Greg Jones at 422c/kg.
Sold by PE & JA Middleton, their next pen weighing 521kg, went to Harvey Beef for $2296 and 440c/kg.
Ten Angus weighing 454kg from HH Clifton, Capel, went to Harvey Beef, costing $2290 at 504c/kg.
Steers weighing 460kg from G & M Ferraro were the first bought for Princess Royal Trading and these made $2465 at 536c/kg before Harvey Beef paid $2142 and 532c/kg for 11 steers while Alex Roberts, Elders Boyanup, bought the last 11 of the Ferraro steers at $2142 and 548c/kg.
In the higher prices were three steers from L & M DellaSale that went to Harvey Beef for $2400 which quickly added a single grey steer from GS Brown for $2450, bidding to 490c/kg for the 500kg steer.
Princess Royal Trading added 11 Alcoa Angus weighing 409kg for $2151, after bidding to 526c/kg.
Steers from A & K Bashford, Busselton, attracted strong support when 10 Limousin cross steers made $2296, going to Harvey Beef which added the next five Bashford steers that cost $2357.
Tara Grazing, Boyup Brook, were the volume vendors, topping at $2096 for 11 Charolais steers bought by Elders Boyanup.
In the lightweight steers a pen of 17 Red Angus from Cityshine Holdings weighing 176kg sold at 730c/kg to Elders Busselton to return $1288.
Following their success with steers, G & M Ferraro topped the heifers at $2044 when the eight weighing 444kg sold at 460c/kg to Galati Family Trust.
Elders Boyanup took the next pen at 482c/kg to spend $1882.
Next best were six Murray grey cross from DA & AE Thompson, Boyup Brook, that sold to Harvey Beef for $1903 at 470c/kg.
Two heavy Angus cross steers weighing 6456kg from L Pfitzner were snapped up by Kookabrook Livestock at 378c/kg to return $2438.
This duo teamed with another nine that made $2384.
Clive Elson, Karridale, sold eight Hereford cross weighing 514kg for $2129, with these going to Elders Boyanup.
Elders, Capel representative Rob Gibbings paid the top of 570c/kg for seven steers from TJ & RD Garstone to spend $1437 for the 252kg steers.
Dudinalup Pastoral, Nannup, had several pens of heavier Friesian steers and it sold two lines to VA & MP Wright, Dunsborough, for $2040 and $2019 at 370c/kg.
KW Lee sold the top price, $2192 paid by Kookabrook for a single steer weighing 580kg.
Mr Jones was busy, buying 12 pens for his client at this point of the sale, topping at $1824 for nine from Wirring Farm, Cowaramup.
Wirring Farms also sold 10 averaging 513kg to Kookabrook Livestock for $1898 when the 513kg steers sold at 370c/kg.
Several pens of seven steers in each from M Tosano topped at $1805 when joining the load for Mr Jones' client.
Nutrien Livestock, Brunswick/Harvey agent Errol Gardiner paid the top of 468c/kg for nine weighing 316kg, returning $1479 to Milner Farms, Busselton.
Steers from Clive Elson were not far behind when they sold at 464c/kg to Elders, Brunswick representative Craig Martin to cost $1461.
The appraisal dairy steers saw a line of 16 from Jessmond Dairy take the top price honours at $1390 when bought by Nutrien Livestock, Donnybrook representative Dean Taaffe.
Dudinalup Pastoral bought replacement steers, paying $1310 for 15 from Jessmond Dairy.
PB & JR Maughan sold the top price poddies getting $1100 for two pens bought by Elders Pinjarra and Elders Boyanup respectively.
Elders, Nannup agent Terry Tarbotton bid to $1080 for 17 sold account WL Olsthoorn with these going to Dudinalup Pastoral.
The lone cow and calf unit, from TJ & RD Garstone sold to Cameron Harris, Elders Manjimup, for $2750 to finish a sound sale.
WHAT THE AGENT SAID
ELDERS Margaret River agent and sale auctioneer Alec Williams said once again a good quality yarding of 1590 head was offered in the sale.
"A good selection of beef steers and heifers in the lighter weight categories, saw sustained grazier enquiry," Mr Williams said.
"Most categories throughout the sale eased in value, in comparison to June's frenzied buyer enquiry, with the exception of mediumweight Friesian steers which were slightly firmer.
"Heavy beef steers met with solid local and interstate enquiry to be equal to last sale too.
"Overall it was a good solid result, but not to the unprecedented levels seen in June.
"Our next store sale is on Friday, August 20."