HELD in unseasonable but appreciated sunshine, the Nutrien Livestock store cattle sale at Boyanup on July 1 continued the strong vein of recent sales.
Numbers were back on advertised with 632 head of cattle penned for buyers' perusal with the usual spread of buyers operating.
Nutrien Livestock sell all weights by liveweight, except mated females, with a good selection of beef steers selling to a high of $2626 to be slightly higher than the recent sale, although the top liveweight price of 672c/kg was back by 16c/kg.
Beef heifers sold consistently with the lowest price being 500c/kg and the heavy end reaching $2084 and 578c/kg.
Beef cross steers also broke the $2600 barrier when the top pen made $2631 with lighter weights selling to 592c/kg.
A good selection of Friesian steers appealed to buyers with values pushed to $2198 and 440c/kg.
Friesian poddies saw a top of $1241 top for mature types with lightweight calves reaching 602c/kg in a small offering.
Some good cows and calves sold to $3200 to be value buying, while mated heifers topped at $2000.
These were described to calve from September to November with the late calving dates deterring some from competing.
Mated cows of unquoted age sold to $2050 to end the sale.
The first pen offered topped the beef section when the five Hereford cross from DR & EJ McFerran, Treeton, made $2626 when the 479kg steers sold at 548c/kg.
A pen of seven Angus cross steers from the McFerrans then sold for $2598 with both pens bought for Princess Royal Trading, Burra, South Australia, with its bidding capably handled by Nutrien Livestock's Simon Green.
A line of eight Angus from The Darke Family Trust joined these at $2409 when the 396kg steers sold at 608c/kg.
Harvey Beef once again added strong support on suitable weight steers with a pen of eight Angus from The Darke Family Trust costing $2199 at 624c/kg before five Hereford steers in the next pen made $2350 at 636c/kg, with these sold account NJ & HJ Wiese, Collie.
Mr Green bid to 588c/kg for two Blonde d'Aquitaine steers weighing 417kg with these returning Sunnyside Farm, Dardanup, $2454.
Williams River Produce, Williams, had several pens of cattle for sale and took out the top price per kilogram when six Murray Greys weighing 257kg sold to Richard Pollock, Nutrien Livestock, Waroona, at 672c/kg to cost $1730 before the next pen sold at 670c/kg.
The strength in the beef heifers was reflected by consistent demand from start to finish.
The top of $2084 went to five Blonde d'Aquitaine heifers from Sunnyside Farm that were bought by Mr Green with the 404kg cattle selling at 516c/kg.
Don Ratcliffe, Ferguson, took out the top of 578c/kg when Harvey Beef outlaid $2051 for the four Angus heifers.
A single Charolais from Elgin Park, Elgin, was close behind when also bought by Mr Green for $2050.
A line of 10 Murray Grey heifers weighing 339kg from J & S Fredericks, Bridgetown, started the females and sold to Jamie Abbs, Nutrien Livestock, Boyup Brook, making $1948 at 574c/kg.
A line of four Angus from The Darke Family Trust joined these when the 342kg heifers sold for $1924 and 562c/kg.
Beef cross steers attracted strong interest resulting in a line of nine Angus cross weighing 444kg from WS Partridge & Sons, Brunswick, topping at $2631 when bought by Mr Green at 592c/kg to take the top-priced double.
Another eight of this offering went to Harvey Beef at $2199, followed by six Herefords from DE & CP Payne, Alexandra Bridge, that made $2049.
The quality selection of medium to heavyweight Friesian steers saw a high of $2198 paid by Mr Pollock for six steers weighing 614kg from VS Franklin.
Two more pens of Franklin steers sold for $2119 and $2062 with both lots containing four and six steers respectively, purchased by Mr Pollock.
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Other vendors to receive support from Mr Pollock included KJ & SM Gardiner, Bridgetown, with seven steers of 517kg making $2027 and C & R Angi, Yarloop, for six at $2067.
Errol Gardiner, Nutrien Livestock, Brunswick/Harvey, was active buying several pens of steers including the top of 440c/kg paid for 11 steers weighing 270kg from PG & BP Italiano, Brunswick.
While Friesian poddies have slipped in value from the very high peaks, mature types topped at $1241 paid by Mr Gardiner for 12 steers sold account the Mahaffey Family Trust, Benger, that weighed 242kg and sold at 512c/kg.
Twelve Mahaffey poddies weighing 206kg joined these when they sold at 520c/kg to cost $1074.
Ralph Mosca, Nutrien Livestock, Harvey/Pinjarra, made his sole purchase for the day when he paid the top of 602c/kg for 16 poddies weighing 129kg from Kimlie Pty Ltd that cost $776.
Sunnyside Farm sold the top cow and calf units when five were bought by an Elders account at $3200.
Two pens of Angus heifers to calve from September to November saw the first pen make $2000 when bought by Mr Pollock with these sold account SF & SL Fox Slater, Capel.
Cattle from DM & ND Kelly saw four grey heifers go to RJ Logie, Williams, at $2000 with three pens of mated cows all bought by Mr Pollock from $1900 to $2050.
WHAT THE AGENT SAID
NUTRIEN Livestock auctioneer and Capel agent Chris Waddingham said it was a smaller yarding presented at this sale with quality good all the way through the offering.
"Lotfeeders and backgrounders were strong on beef steers and heifers and local graziers were noticeably more confident after the recent rain events," Mr Waddingham said.
"The additional competition was evident throughout the dairy cross and dairy steer penning."
