QUALITY cattle and a strong beef cattle market combined for successful results at Elders' first standalone store cattle sale at the Muchea Livestock Centre last Friday.
The Elders network presented a top yarding of 1611 cattle for its debut store sale at the venue which attracted buoyant buying support from feeders, graziers and exporters.
Local beef weaners dominated the yarding with large numbers descending from the northern agricultural region, along with the Central Midlands and Wheatbelt, while fewer numbers of pastoral cattle compared to other store sales at Muchea, came mainly from the Goldfields, Pilbara and backgrounding properties.
The muggy conditions didn't deter buyers who were willing to bid up on their selections and at the completion of almost three hours of selling, the Elders team, led by auctioneers Graeme Curry and Pearce Watling, steered the sale to gross almost $3 million at an average of $1757 across all weights and descriptions.
The successful result also proved a fitting farewell to the career of recently retired Elders WA commercial cattle manager Tom Marron who clerked his final sale in the pink shirt.
Feeders paid to $2359 for 400kg beef weaner steers and graziers to 742c/kg for 260kg steers, while grown beef heifers topped at $2572 and weaner heifers reached $2247 for 420kg heifers to feeders and graziers paid to 626c/kg for 320kg well-bred heifers.
In the pastoral section, steers topped at $2025 for 410kg Brangus steers to feeders and 630c/kg for lighter weights of the same breeding, while a small offering of pastoral heifers sold to $1372 and 450c/kg.
Exporters paid to $1776 and 526c/kg for bulls.
The sale kicked off with the dominant numbers of local cattle with steer values topping at $2359 paid by Jamie Davies, Kalgrains, Wannamal, bidding 600c/kg for 11 Angus weaner steers weighing 393kg, offered by NC & F Watson, Calingiri.
Mr Davies secured numerous pens of feeder steers with his next highest price of $2335 at 564c/kg paid for eight Angus weaner steers. averaging 414kg and trucked in by M & M Harris.
The sale's most prominent buyer was Dean Ryan, Central Stockcare, who operated at the top of the market for his extensive steer purchases.
Mr Ryan paid a $2351 top price bidding 578c/kg for five Angus weaner steers weighing 407kg, offered by Yadgeno Co, Moora.
He snapped up a few pens of steers from the CJ Crane draft, paying to $2331 at 542c/kg for four Red Angus weaner steers weighing 430kg and some of his other dearer purchases included $2326 at 586c/kg for a mixed pen of yearling steers, offered by volume vendor Kanandah station, Kalgoorlie/Esperance.
Kanandah station offered a total draft of 260 Angus and Murray Grey steers and heifers.
Some other higher values paid for beef steers included Rob Gibbings, Elders Capel, outlaying $2342 at 430c/kg for a trio of Angus yearling steers averaging 545kg, offered by R & R Cobley, Walkaway, while Alex Roberts, Elders Boyanup, purchased 10 Angus steers weighing 397kg from the paddocks of Gingin Pastoral, Gingin, for $2328 at 586c/kg on behalf of a Wheatbelt feeder.
An outstanding draft of 78 Angus weaner steers across five pens tipping the scales from 252-259kg were offered by FB Smith & Sons, Walkaway, with the buyer option to one or multiple pens.
Brendan Millar, Elders Geraldton, representing a return grazier buyer of the Smith steers, took the option with both hands paying the sale's 742c/kg top liveweight price for the lot to cost from $1866-$1924.
Owen McLarty, Caris Park Grazing, Pinjarra, restocked with several pens of lighter steers at strong liveweight values including nine Murray Grey weaner steers averaging 213kg from TR Criddle, Narngulu, to cost $1524 and 714c/kg for seven Red Angus steers weighing 261kg from Scott Grazing Company, East Chapman, to cost $1865.
The strong line-up of local beef heifers saw prices peak at $2572 for nine grown Murray Grey heifers weighing 666kg, offered by Mikkelsen & Wilson, Badgingarra, with Jonathon Green, Harvey Beef, bidding 386c/kg.
Weaner heifer values topped at $2247 with Mr Ryan also securing the Harris's draft of 11 Angus heifers averaging 422kg, bidding 532c/kg and again with Yadgeno Co's 13 Angus weaner heifers weighing 458kg at $2109 and 460c/kg.
Mr Gibbings paid the next highest price of $2093 at 424c/kg for five mixed yearling heifers averaging 494kg offered by Saltwater Beef Pty Ltd, while a quality draft of Angus weaner heifers offered by HJ & K Stokes & Sons, Mingenew, sold to $2057 for a duo of Simmental cross weaner heifers weighing 381kg knocked down to Mr Robert's feeder order at 540c/kg.
Liveweight rates reached 626c/kg for 15 Angus weaner heifers weighing 318kg offered by GA & SA Gifford, Gingin, to cost Geoff Shipp, Elders Gingin, $1992.
Export buyer Graham Brown filled a significant order with beef heifers, bidding to 624c/kg for nine Murray Grey heifers weighing 280kg from RJ & MC Mitchell, Chidlow, to cost $1750.
Skye Ogerly, Elders Broome, representing a New South Wales buyer, bid to 620c/kg for nine mixed weaner heifers averaging 205kg, trucked in by the Criddles, while Clint Avery, Elders Geraldton, representing an Albany account, paid 610c/kg and $1550 for 14 Speckle Park weaner heifers weighing 254kg from the Watson's draft.
The sale swung to the run of pastoral cattle, starting with export bulls.
Mr Ryan, buying for Livestock Shipping Services, collected the majority of the few numbers offered paying to $1854 at 518c/kg for eight yearling Shorthorn bulls averaging 358kg from Banjong Ranch, York.
A beautifully bred and quiet 484kg Santa Gertrudis cross bull offered by WK Coxon, Mogumber, will get some cows rather than a boat trip when it appealed to Lachlan McTaggart, Gingin, to cost him $1984 at 410c/kg.
A big run of Brangus, Murray Grey cross and Charbray steers offered by Kanandah station kicked off the pastoral steer section with the first pen of five Brangus yearling steers weighing 413kg, topping the section at $2025 with Mr Ryan paying 490c/kg.
The Kanandah draft also took top liveweight honours with 14 lighter steers of the same breeding weighing 279kg knocked down to Clint Fletcher, Elders Moora, for 630c/kg and $1757.
Glenflorrie Brahmans, Pilbara, draft of pastoral steers sold to $1516 at 546c/kg for six Droughtmaster cross weaner steers weighing 278kg, also purchased by Mr Fletcher, while WJ Edwards', Gingin, steer draft topped at $1697 at 480kg for four Droughtmaster cross yearlings weighing 354kg snapped up by Mr Ryan for export.
The Edwards family also made up the bulk of the limited pastoral heifer numbers yarded with their Droughtmaster cross draft reaching $1303 at 425c/kg for 12 PTIC yearlings knocked down to Mr McTaggart.
Mr Davies purchased several lines of the Edwards heifers for International Livestock Exports paying the 450c/kg top liveweight price for nine weighing 280kg to cost $1258.
What the agent said
ELDERS auctioneer Graeme Curry said it was a strong sale and congratulated vendors for the presentation of their cattle and thanked buyers for their support at Elders first store sale at Muchea.
"The sale was one of the last initiatives of Tom Marron before his retirement," Mr Curry said.
"It was a true store sale with a full representation of breeding and weights from local and pastoral areas.
"There was very strong local buying support and although the sale was interfaced on AuctionsPlus, the vast majority of cattle stayed in WA with only a few lines sold to the Eastern States.
"Going forward it is the company's intention to make these store sales a regular fixture at Muchea."
Want weekly news highlights delivered to your inbox? Sign up to the Farm Weekly newsletter.
