
NUTRIEN Livestock yarded an outstanding quality offering of cattle at its March store cattle sale at Boyanup last week, with weights and bloom tremendous for the time of year.
Numbers were dominated by beef cattle, particularly beef steers, while there was also a greater number than usual of mated cows and cows and calves to end the fixture.
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A total of 1350 cattle were penned and they sold for an average of about $1967.
While sceptics have for some time been predicting a time when the prices will fall, they are going to have to wait a bit longer yet.
Beef steers topped at $2532 and 690c/kg, just $3 up on the last sale at Boyanup, while beef heifers took a reasonable lift to top at $2151, close to a $70 increase, but the top of 602c/kg was down by 14c/kg, indicating heavier weights at the top end.
Beef cross steers and Friesian steers both took a drop, but with top prices of $2279 and $2266 respectively, still good returns for vendors.

Friesian poddies attracted stronger support to reach $1470, paid for two weighing 245 kilograms.
Calves weighing 150kg sold for the top of 746c/kg to still make $1123.
The offering of varying aged cows and cows and calves sold well to reach $4000.
The usual spread of buying support was evident, with processors, feedlots, agents and graziers all having a degree of success in purchasing.
The first pen containing 10 Angus steers weighing 550kg topped the beef section making $2532 for vendors PC & RD Rooney, Manjimup, and were bought by Harvey Beef for 460c/kg.
The next of these weighing 521kg went the same way for $2493 at 478c/kg.
Harvey Beef then paid $2374 at 524c/kg for 18 Murray Grey steers weighing 453kg from Glamm Investments.
Graeme Brown again was a dominant buyer, mainly for Princess Royal Trading, Burra, South Australia, with the next pen from CR Walker weighing 413kg costing $2345 at 568c/kg.
Shortly after, a line of nine from MG Armstrong weighing 422kg cost $2384 at 564c/kg.

Nutrien Livestock, Waroona agent Richard Pollock was the volume buyer once more and his purchases included nine Angus weighing 398kg from the Armstrong draft that cost $2238 at 562c/kg.
Mr Pollock bought another four pens from this vendor, paying from $2214 to $2241 for those on behalf of his client.
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Kevin Armstrong snapped up 11 grey steers for Kalgrains, with these weighing 387kg making $2238 at 578c/kg.
The best of the Illginup Farms calves went to Kalgrains, costing $2333 at 574c/kg.
Semini Feeds, Treeton, paid $2437 at 554c/kg for the nine 440kg black steers from MV & CJ Harnett, Brunswick, before adding eight sold by BW Ridley at $2390 and 570c/kg.
Taunton Grazing added strong competition, starting with nine Angus weighing 360kg from JE & EC Franklin that cost $2105 at 584c/kg.
Well into the beef steers a pen of 14 Angus from J Shine & Co, Brunswick, went to Taunton Farms at $2357 and 592c/kg.

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Delaney Livestock Services (DLS), Busselton, secured several pens for clients, starting with a line of 11 Hereford steers weighing 306kg from F Slee & Son that sold at 632c/kg to return $1936.
DLS later bid the top of 690c/kg for seven steers from DF & J Riegert weighing 260kg to equal $1794.
The top in the beef heifers went to 10 Gandy Timbers Angus weighing 371kg with HW Griffiths pushed to $2151 and 580c/kg to secure these future breeders.
Mr Griffiths had earlier paid $2031 at 560c/kg for 11 heifers weighing 362kg from J Shine & Co.
Five black heifers from MV & CJ Harnett, Brunswick, sold to Nutrien Livestock, Brunswick/Harvey agent Errol Gardiner, costing $21314 and 580c/kg.
Greg Jones bought heifers sold by T & FM Logrande for $1890 and 500c/kg before adding nine from MG Armstrong at $2065 and 508ckg.
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Nutrien Livestock, Bridgetown agent Ben Cooper paid $2025 for 10 heifers from Sandlewood Farms, while Mr Gardiner started his run with 10 from Amanda Brown weighing 379kg that cost $2102 and 554c/kg.
The top of 602c/kg was paid by HW Griffiths for two black heifers weighing 338kg from MD & LJ Armstrong, returning $2034.
Mr Pollock continued his dominance on the beef cross steers, paying the top of $2279 for four Angus cross from R Johnstone, Bridgetown, when the 485kg steers sold at 470c/kg.
Three pens from NJ & CL Lindberg all went to DLS to a top of $2176 and the top of 568c/kg.
Western Meat Packers snapped up the first three pens of heavy Friesian steers including the top price pen at $2266 for the first seven sold weighing 662kg from Wallingford Farms, at 342c/kg.
The other two pens were from Shorescape Holding weighing 631kg and 597kg sold for $2083 and $2020 at 330 and 338c/kg respectively.
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Mr Pollock, Mr Gardiner and Nutrien Livestock, Boyup Brook agent Jamie Abbs bought the majority of the rest of the section.
Mr Pollock paid to $2021 for two steers sold by Wallingford Farms as well as $1932 for steers weighing 536kg from NJ & CL Lindberg at 360c/kg.
Mr Gardiner topped at $1667 and 404c/kg for 11 sold account PG Italiano, Harvey, while Mr Abbs took 11 steers from NJ & CL Lindberg for $1626 and 518c/kg.
The top of 644c/kg was bid by Nutrien Livestock, Manjimup representative Brett Chatley when buying 13 steers weighing 246kg from AC & CA Jenkins that cost $1587.
Mr Chatley later paid the top price for mature poddies when he secured two steers for $1470 at 600c/kg, sold by JT & CA Warwick.
A pen of poddies from the Jenkins family went to Mr Gardiner for $1461 when the 226kg calves sold at 644c/kg.
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A line of 15 calves sold by TD & JD Norton weighing 150kg topped at 746c/kg costing Nutrien Livestock, Peel representative Ralph Mosca $1123.
A much larger selection of genuine breeder females were penned and attracted good support.
The top of $4000 was paid by Nutrien Livestock, Williams representative Louis Payne for 14 fourth calving Angus cows sold by JS Stowe, Dardanup.
The next nine slightly older cows were bought by Nutrien Livestock State manager Leon Giglia for Lindy Cornish, Marybrook, at $3400, while Mr Pollock bid to $3200 for four cows sold by Sunnyside Farm, Dardanup.
The top of $3800 paid for cows with calves at foot went to two from Object Star Consulting when bought for Power Grazing.
F Slee & Son, Busselton, sold three Angus cows and calves to Power Grazing and one to Mr Pollock, all at $3300.
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Two Murray Grey cows and calves from the Slee sold at $3500 and a single Friesian unit made $2900 with A Vizzari buying both lots.
A pen of 10 from FJ & CJ Colreavy, Nannup, were bought for Lindy Cornish, costing $3700.
WHAT THE AGENT SAID
NUTRIEN Livestock auctioneer and Boyanup/Capel agent Chris Waddingham said it was another large offering of store cattle presented in the sale.
"The quality of the yarding was slightly more mixed in comparison to recent sales, but the market was basically unchanged across most classes," Mr Waddingham said.
"We saw a much larger offering of PTIC cows and cows with calves at foot than usual and these sold to a very keen gallery of buyers mainly between $3500-$4000."
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