STORE cattle values continue to climb to unprecedented heights following another bolter of a result at the Nutrien Livestock monthly sale at the Muchea Livestock Centre.
The State's overwhelming demand from lotfeeders and graziers rewrote the record books with local beef steers selling for a new record liveweight price at Muchea of 760c/kg.
The Nutrien Livestock selling team presented an outstanding yarding of 2135 pastoral and local store cattle at the company's fifth special store fixture at the venue since recommencing sales in July.
Numbers were almost smack on those advertised with pastoral types making up about 80 per cent of the total and featured several large lines of quality well-bred pastoral lines descending from as far north as the Pilbara, Gascoyne and Murchison.
Rampant buying support saw cattle sell to wide ranging points on the compass stretching from the Murchison to South West, coastal areas to the Wheatbelt and at the end of selling, auctioneers Brad Keavers and Simon Green had recorded a gross just shy of $3 million at an overall average of $1417 and 503c/kg liveweight.
While numbers were down on last month's monster yarding, average values finished up $124 per head and 49c/kg liveweight, reflecting the red-hot store cattle market in WA.
The sale was interfaced on AuctionsPlus and while there was plenty of interest online, the bidding was very quiet and any buyers appeared to be priced out of the market.
The yarding of local cattle kicked off the sale with Jamie Davies, Kalgrains, Wannamal, setting a strong early tone with the first four pens of steers, paying to the sale's $2621 top price at 612c/kg for six Simmental cross steers weighing 428kg offered by the de Burgh family, West Pinjarra.
Mr Davies finished with nine pens of steers and also paid $2377 at 598c/kg for the first pen of six Red Angus steers weighing 398kg offered by Mosterts Dairy Pty Ltd, Keysbrook and $2379 at 614c/kg for four Angus steers averaging 388kg from the paddocks of LM & DG Smith.
John Gallop provided direct competition for a southern lot feeder and Peel grazier orders with his several purchases costing to $2300 at 600c/kg for three Simmental cross steers weighing 383kg, offered by P & E Valli, Bakers Hill.
Mr Gallop also paid LP Christian, Bakers Hill, its Murray Grey-Simmental draft $2293 top price at 588c/kg for six steers weighing 390kg
Alex Roberts, Elders Boyanup, upped the ante for well-bred lighter steers on behalf of a South West grazier client, paying the new record liveweight price of 760c/kg for 12 Angus steers averaging 258kg offered by Cranmore Farming, Walebing, to cost $1957.
Jonathon Green, Harvey Beef, was another active buyer throughout the sale, starting with a few pens of beef steers paying to $2455 at 596c/kg for 13 milk-tooth Angus-Droughtmaster steers from Haseley stud, Carnarvon.
Beef heifer values topped at $2246 for the opening pen of two weaned Angus heifers averaging 390kg from the Rudd Family Trust, Coorow, with Mr Davies bidding 576c/kg for the duo.
Mr Davies also paid the next highest price of $2154 for eight Haseley, milk-tooth, Angus-Droughtmaster heifers weighing 402kg.
Buying for several accounts Dean Ryan, Central Stockcare (CSC), was among the sale's prominent buyers with his beef heifer selections topping at $2137 for 10 Angus heifers weighing 369kg from Mosterts Dairy, costing 580c/kg.
The Rudds featured again in the top prices with their six weaned Murray Grey heifers averaging 268kg, knocked down to Mr Gallop for the section's 628c/kg top liveweight price on behalf of his grazier order.
Attention turned to the extensive yarding of pastoral cattle starting with the steers.
Mr Green took a liking to the milk and two-teeth Droughtmaster steers offered by Haseley stud, paying the $2296 top price at 540c/kg for two steers weighing 425kg and $2256 at 552c/kg for 15 steers weighing 409kg.
He also snapped up 12 Droughtmaster steers tipping the scales at 344kg offered by Murgoo station, Yalgoo, outlaying $2116 at 616c/kg who also sold the section's top liveweight prices at 650c/kg paid by the de Burghs for two light Droughtmaster steers weighing 148kg to cost $959.
Andrew Glenn Cattle Company, Ashburton Downs station, Paraburdoo, was one of the sale's volume vendors presenting a quality line-up of Hereford and Braford steers and heifers.
The draft's steer values topped at $2048 for seven weighing 397kg which were knocked down to CSC for 516c/kg.
Allen Bentham, Delaney Livestock Services, paid the next highest price of 642c/kg for two light Santa Gertrudis-Shorthorn steers weighing 208kg from Tierney Investments to cost $1332, while Mr Davies paid 632c/kg for two pens of Droughtmaster-Santa Gertrudis steers offered by Eganu Pastoral, Coorow, costing $1591 and $1296.
Mr Gallop paid strong liveweight values for numerous pens of lighter well-bred steer drafts for his grazier order including 624c/kg and $1385 for eight red Shorthorn cross steers averaging 222kg offered by Berringarra station, Upper Murchison.
The big run of pastoral bulls saw Livestock Shipping Services pay the $2028 top price for a single 520kg Droughtmaster cross bull from the Berringarra draft.
JR & JD Motter's, Badgingarra, draft of Droughtmaster bulls topped at $1895 for 11 weighing 390kg knocked down to Mr Ryan for a Wheatbelt lotfeeder order that also paid $1820 for 10 Droughtmaster bulls averaging 386kg from Bullara station, Exmouth.
The 628c/kg top liveweight price was paid by Mr Bentham for 21 Santa Gertrudis bulls weighing 162kg offered by Killara station, Meekatharra.
Mr Green paid the next highest price of 580c/kg for 10 bulls weighing 274kg from the Motter draft to cost $1589 while Mr Bentham bid 562c/kg and $1216 for eight Shorthorn bulls weighing 216kg from Bundawarra Ag, Morawa.
It was then onto the dominant numbers of pastoral heifers to round out the sale.
Haseley stud and Kalgrains combined again for the $1638 top price at 490c/kg for eight milk-tooth Droughtmaster heifers weighing 334kg.
Killara station's Santa Gertrudis heifers saw competition go to a new level with Mr Ryan paying the next highest price of $1633 at 492c/kg for 18 heaviest heifers weighing 332kg.
The draft's liveweight values continued to climb with the section's 556c/kg top price paid by Nutrien Livestock commercial cattle manager Skye Ogerly for one of two pens containing 21 heifers weighing 201kg to cost a grazier order $1120.
Ashburton Down's big draft of Hereford and Braford heifers sold to $1395 at 442c/kg, paid by Mr Green for eight heifers averaging 316kg.
Toscana WA Pty Ltd, Pinjarra, was a prominent buyer in this section and finished with 170 pastoral heifers (and 20 Haseley Angus-Droughtmaster steers), paying to $1486 at 478c/kg for six sleek red-coated Shorthorn cross heifers weighing 311kg from the Berringarra draft.
Farm manager Steve Smirk said they have plenty of feed available following the good growing season and would select out any potential breeders and finish the balance on grass.
"We will grow them out to get a bit more maturity on them and potentially join them to Red Angus bulls in June next year for a March calving and Charolais bulls for the Brahman types in later joinings," Mr Smirk said.
"The balance of the heifers and steers we will look to turn over within six months."
Bettini Beef, De Grey station, Port Hedland, was another significant vendor of pastoral heifers with its even, well-bred Brahman heifers selling to $1345 at 450c/kg for 17 grey Brahman heifers averaging 299kg purchased by Minga Flats, Harvey.
What the agent said:
NUTRIEN Livestock sale co-ordinator, auctioneer and AuctionsPlus level one assessor Simon Green said it was an 'absolutely fantastic' result for all vendors.
"A highlight was the Angus steers from Cranmore Farming that topped the sale at a record price of 760c/kg and Angus heifers topped at 628c/kg for the Rudd family," Mr Green said.
"Haseley Stud sold Angus-Droughtmaster steers to 624c/kg and heifers to 578c/kg.
"Ashburton Downs returned to the sale and its steers sold to 622c/kg and the Killara station Santa Gertrudis heifers are always a highlight selling to 556c/kg and lightweight bulls sold to 628c/kg.
"These are a few examples of some vendors' results but there were some very good prices across the sale and vendors should be very proud of the quality they presented.
"There is already 3200 cattle nominated for our next store cattle sale at Muchea to be held on November 26 which will be our final store sale for the year."
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