In spite of pre-sale apprehension, most vendors and agents would have left the Nutrien Livestock Boyanup store cattle sale last week feeling like they had been given a "get out of jail card".
While the majority of the yarding showed effects of the dry and water shortages, the reason a lot of the cattle were penned for sale, the better quality lines and those of suitable weights sold for stronger prices than expected.
The usual gallery of regular buyers supported the offering, with Rodney Galati, Galati Family Trust (GFT), Brunswick, Gordon Atwell, Welldon Beef, Williams, and Greg Jones all buying numbers.
Errol Gardiner, Harvey/Brunswick, Jamie Abbs, Boyup Brook, Ben Cooper, Bridgetown, and Jock Embry, Margaret River/Busselton, were the main Nutrien Livestock agents to secure multiple pens for clients.
Weight and quality had a stronger influence on the end result to a greater degree than at recent sales, with buyers selective on their purchases.
Beef steers topped at $1254 and 298 cents per kilogram, with the top prices back a little on the previous sale.
Beef heifers reached $1130, which was up $180 at the top for a pen when compared with the previous sale - but back more than 20c/kg.
With only a small number, the highlight of the day was the pens of beef cross steers that sold to $1401 and 238c/kg, up almost $500 and 24c/kg - with weight and quality the driver.
Surprisingly, all the better end of the Friesian steers sold to $1029, up exactly $100 - and the 180c/kg peak lifted almost 30c/kg.
Several lines of weaner bulls peaked at $832 and 210c/kg demonstrating the benefit of live export to the market.
Mr Galati was quick out of the blocks, snapping up the first three pens of beef steers, paying $1199 for Simmental steers weighing 545 kilograms from Laureldene Farms, Boyanup, also adding another from the pen at $1060.
The next pen sold, two steers weighing 465kg from Nasko, went on the truck to GFT for $1078 and 232c/kg.
Harvey Beef started the day with four Murray Grey steers weighing 493kg to pay the top beef price of $1254 at 254c/kg. These were sold by J & S Fredericks, Donnybrook.
Six more of these joined them when selling for $1194 and 270c/kg.
Mr Galati paid $1083 at 280c/kg for another five Nasko steers.
Mr Atwell started his run with a single Nasko steer weighing 360kg before adding seven from J & S Fredericks at $1004.
Other better returns for vendors selling to GFT included K & L Davis, five steers at $1170, P & MJ Scherini, Bridgetown, one at $1012.
Mr Gardiner started his day with two steers weighing 395kg from T & FM Logrande, Harvey, costing $1161 at 294c/kg.
He later paid the top price of 298c/kg cents per kilogram for two black steers from FE Brookes, Yornup, with the 387kg cattle making $1154.
Several pens from Wyndarra Grazing, Manjimup, topped at $871 when bought by Welldon Beef at 276c/kg.
The top 13 Angus weighing 294kg from Prenton Park Pastoral, Capel, went to GFT for $842 and 286c/kg with GFT adding the first pen from DW Treloar, Boyup Brook, at $772.
The first heifer sold, weighing 595kg from Laureldene Farms topped the section at $1130 when GFT bid to 190c/kg.
A second heifer in the pen stayed with its mate, costing $1060.
Mr Jones lifted and was a dominant buyer from this point and among the higher prices were six from Glenn Barry at $861, 10 sold by FE Brookes for $870 and six weighing 374kg from Mairin Contracting costing $815.
Mr Jones later paid the top heifer cents per kilogram price of 236c/kg for 10 of the Wyndarra Grazing Red Angus with the 10 weighing 326kg costing $770, after paying $810 for the previous pen weighing 346kg.
Mr Cooper secured three pens of Wyndarra Red Angus, paying to $727.
MJ & CH Bleechmore, Boyup Brook, sold both Shorthorn and Charolais cattle in the sale, with eight Shorthorn heifers making $671 when bought by Mr Cooper at 220c/kg who also paid $665 and 220c/kg for 10 Charolais weighing 302kg.
Heifers weighing less than 300kg were good buying with numerous pens picked up by astute cattlemen for between $400-$500 from 120-190c/kg, with a couple of mark out animals selling for as low as 50c/kg.
The highlight of the day was the two pens of beef cross steers from CG & AM Wills, Busselton, with the first pen of 14 weighing 604kg making the top of $1401 at 232c/kg with the next line of seven making the top of 238c/kg and $1326 with both going to GFT.
Four pens of Angus bulls from Sheron Farm, Brunswick, sold strongly to $832 and 200c/kg with the lightest line weighing 346kg making 210c/kg and $728 when bought for Livestock Shipping Services.
Twelve Friesian steers weighing 571kg from CA & DA Tillbrook, topped the dairy steers when selling at 180c/kg to cost GFT $1029.
Mr Embry then bid to 170c/kg to pay $845 for the next pen of eight.
Mr Gardiner bought the first three pens of Laureldene Farms Friesian steers, paying to $626 at 144c/kg for steers weighing 435kg.
Mr Abbs took the last two pens of these for 128c/kg and 120c/kg for steers up to 382kg.
Mr Gardiner snapped up the last six pens of lighter weight steers, just above poddie weights to a top of $607 for nine weighing 433kg sold by JP & AL Baguly.
WHAT THE AGENT SAID
Nutrien Livestock, Boyanup/Capel agent and sale auctioneer Chris Waddingham said just under 950 cattle were yarded in the company's second store sale for April.
"The quality of the yarding was even throughout, with the majority of the cattle offered being of store condition," Mr Waddingham said.
"There were fewer buyers operating in the sale compared to the previous week, but those in attendance came with intent to buy.
"The better quality lines of beef steers and heifers and those with good weight sold at better than expected prices with buyers selective on type especially in the lightweight drafts.
"A good run of weaner bulls sold to 210c/kg with all going to the live trade.
"Heavyweight first-cross steers and Friesian steers were up 5-10c/kg from the previous sale."
