Beef steers in demand as South West upwards trend continues

Overall, the sale continued the upward trend, but not all types enjoyed this added interest and values.

Never the less the overall sale average of $869 was up from the $755 achieved at last month's Elders Boyanup store sale.

When comparing the price in cents per kilogram, this sale averaged 226c/kg compared to 192c/kg last month.

Filling the most pens, beef steers achieved the biggest lift when topping at $1466 and 314c/kg compared with the previous sale's top prices of $1314 and 260c/kg.

Sale summary

Beef heifers dropped a little reaching $1188 and 264c/kg compared with $1263 and 240c/kg last sale.

Beef cross steers were few in number, selling to $1073 to be up by $20, but down 8c/kg for the top price.

Friesian poddies took a real kick (down) when topping at $280 and not because of any quality problems.

Cows and calves were mixed with varying age calves, failing to create any great competition to sell to $1450 while mated cows topped at $1200 with one line of mated heifers selling at $1100.

AuctionsPlus was much more active than recent sales securing 32 pens divided between two WA buyers.

Other volume buyers were regulars, Rodney Galati, Galati Family Trust (GFT), Harvey Beef, Alex Tunstill, Elders Capel, Terry Tarbotton, Elders Nannup, Alex Roberts, Elders Boyanup and Daniel Delaney, Delaney Livestock Services (DLS), Busselton, with Chris Waddingham, Nutrien Livestock Boyanup/Capel, adding competition on certain lots.

Mr Waddingham paid the top beef steer price of $1466 for 11 sold by Bowie Beef, Bridgetown, with the 473 kilogram steers selling at 310c/kg.

The next pen from Motts Natural Agriculture joined those for the top of 314c/kg, with the 442kg steers costing $1390.

A line of 15 Angus from GW & SV Marchant, Donnybrook, started proceedings when selling to Mr Tunstill at 244c/kg to return $1301.

Harvey Beef was active on the heavier end of the weights, paying $1255 at 240c/kg for 11 sold account Shields and Walters followed by the next pen of 10 from J & DL Bogoias, Manjimup weighing 597kg for $1206.

Mr Galati snapped up two lines of Bogoias steers for $1258 and $1195 before adding the next pen sold by G & CR Musitano at $1354 and 278c/kg.

Mr Tunstill bid to 228c/kg to secure five steers weighing 539kg from DJ & L Klein, Capel, to return $1228.

Also helping the sale average were nine steers averaging 428kg from PJ & R Tuthill which went to Harvey Beef at 292c/kg and $1252 with this buyer then taking the next pen containing nine steers weighing 433kg sold by Youda Racing Stables at $1256.

Other spikes in the prices as the sale progressed included two Murray Grey steers from NG & W Giblet, Bridgetown bought by Mr Waddingham for $1348 and 278c/kg.

GFT also paid $1197 for a single grey steer sold by NG & W Giblet.

Two Red Angus steers weighing 715kg sold by MR & VF Hodgeson went on the load for Harvey Beef when selling at 200c/kg to return $1430.

A late spike in pen 55 saw Semini Enterprises pay $1070 for 12 Angus weighing 385kg at 278c/kg.

Among the many pens going to AuctionsPlus was three steers from RH & LM Rose costing $1130, with eight from Mott's Natural Ag costing AuctionsPlus, $1166.

Mr Waddingham was active on the beef heifers, starting with three Angus from Bowie Beef weighing 443kg that cost $1019 at 230c/kg.

The next line of seven offered by MR & VF Hodgeson also went to a bid from Mr Waddingham for $1091 with the 500kg females selling at 218c/kg.

Nutrien Livestock, Brunswick/Harvey agent Errol Gardiner paid the double top of $1188 and 264c/kg for two Limousin heifers sold by Willendaise Park.

Mr Waddingham took the balance of the pen, six heifers weighing 440kg for $1163 and 264c/kg.

Elders Busselton, representative Jacques Martinson snapped up both pens of Red Angus heifers from L & K Streatfield for GA & L E Jenkins, paying $826 and $761 for heifers weighing 413 and 380kg respectively.

Mr Martinson later added 11 Angus sold by GS & RJ Legge, Vasse, for $804 and 218c/kg.

The small number of beef cross steers saw the first pen top at $1073, also going to Mr Martinson when the 17 weighing 583kg from Hayes Farms sold at 184c/kg.

Mr Martinson also paid the top of 212c/kg for eight sold by Allison Fergie, costing $999.

Regular sellers of heavier Friesian steers, Dudinalup Pastoral, Nannup, topped the dairy cattle when GFT spent $955 for the 16 weighing 626kg at 152c/kg.

Mr Roberts had a full pocket of orders, securing eight lines of Friesian steers for his client paying to a top of $862 at 150c/kg for eight D & BC Della Sale steers weighing 575kg.

Elders, Nannup agent Terry Tarbotton was active also putting together a team of eight pens for Gralyn Estate, paying to $863 for nine sold by Jesmond Dairy.

These included the top of 170c/kg for five sold by Fortuna Farms that cost $748.

Appraisal steers both beef and dairy reached $480 for 11 from Jesmond Dairy when knocked to Adam Becker Livestock (ABL).

Quality poddies from CA and D Panetta, Harvey, failed to generate even recent lower values when the top of $280 was paid by Craig Martin, Elders Brunswick/Harvey, for the first pen of 11, with other pens selling for $280 to Mr Waddingham, with others making $240 and $200.

The best of the Negus Enterprises poddies cost Mr Martinson $270.

Mr Martinson then continued by paying the first cow and calf unit from DA & A G Underdown for the top of $1450.

A PTIC Angus heifers from the WA College of Agriculture - Harvey went to ABL at $1100.

What the agent said

Elders Donnybrook representative and sale auctioneer Pearce Watling said it was a good quality yarding of store cattle with all types present.

"Heavy cattle both beef and dairy types met with solid demand," Mr Watling said.

"The offering of weaners was mixed in quality and values reflected this.

"The run of breeders at the end of the sale met with strong demand selling to $1450 for cow and calf units, $1200 for mated cows and $1100 for mated heifers."