Beef steers dominate top prices at Boyanup

Recent rainfall throughout the South West and warm growing conditions has seen some long-awaited green feed return to paddocks following well-below average rainfall last year and an unseasonal extended dry summer period.

It returned some confidence back into the sector, albeit cautiously with follow up rains now needed, and the market has slowly responded over the ensuing weeks since.

SALE SUMMARY

Being at the start of the growing season, lighter longer-term prospect cattle remain good value buying.

Stronger feeder competition on suitable weights combined with greater enquiry from backgrounders and grass finishers saw a bigger crowd and some spirited bidding on the rails.

A quality run of beef steers got the sale off to a strong start and apart from a few pens of steers lacking weight and or quality at the backend, the majority of the section sold for 300c/kg plus to be anywhere from 20-50c/kg dearer than last month's sale, depending on weight.

Beef heifers followed suit and in the main sold from 220-240c/kg in a tighter price range and more consistent market.

Liveweight Friesian steers were dearer with 500-600kg grown steers selling to 200c/kg, while there was only one pen of heavier first cross liveweight steers.

Lighter dairy origin cattle continue in a buyer favoured market to be equal on last month's sale with graziers selective on quality and type.

First cross steers at the older end (8-10 months) sold to $600, while Friesian steers aged 6-8 months topped at $350 and $300 for young poddies.

A small run of young first cross heifer poddies sold to $320, while a few pens of cow and calf units sold to $1600.

Elders auctioneer and Margaret River agent Alec Williams, selling his final store sale before retiring at the end of the month after 39 years with Elders, kicked off proceedings with a quality run of heavier beef steers with six Red Angus and Angus cross steers averaging 513kg from Farris Family Trust, Busselton, attracting plenty of competition before being knocked down to Jacques Martinson, Elders Busselton, for the sale's 332c/kg equal top price and $1702 top beef steer price.

Mr Martinson said the steers would go on feed for a short period and be processed for a South West beef label.

An excellent even draft of Angus steers presented by P & F Giadresco & Sons, Stratham/Lake Muir, sold strongly to feeder and grass finisher enquiry topping at $1431 and 330c/kg for a line of 10 weighing 434kg purchased by a southern grazier on AuctionsPlus.

Adele Martin, Harvey Beef, sourced two pens of 10 Giadresco steers paying 330c/kg/ $1323 and $326c/kg/

$1363 for weights of 401kg and 418kg respectively.

The opening pen of 10 Angus cross steers weighing 473kg offered by Scott Rural Enterprises, Donnybrook, were snapped up by John Gallop on behalf of Kookabrook Livestock Trust for $1418 and 300c/kg.

Alex Roberts, Elders Boyanup, secured a handful of mediumweight steers for a grazier client and paid to the sale's 332c/kg equal top liveweight value on two occasions consisting of eight Angus steers weighing 354kg from the paddocks of Bacchus Farms, Busselton, to cost $1174 and eight Murray Grey steers averaging 343kg from RE & LM Clarke, Waterloo, costing $1139.

Gordon Atwell, Welldon Beef, Williams, was one of the more active feeder buyers, finishing with 13 pens of steers weighing from 280-375kg and paid from 290-324c/kg.

Alex Tunstill, Elders Capel, was kept busy throughout the beef section filling a significant background order with lighter weight steers and heifers, operating at value.

An outstanding draft of well-bred and presented Black Simmental cross heifers weighing 422kg offered by Tirano Farms, Nannup, ignited animated bidding before a winning bid of 286c/kg

from the same buyer on AuctionsPlus to cost $1205.

The next highest heifer price was 272c/kg and $1034 paid by Mr Martinson for a unique single British White heifer weighing 380kg offered by Elgin Park WA Pty Ltd, Elgin.

The Clarke's Murray Greys featured again in the top prices with a draft of 10 heifers weighing 370c/kg knocked down to Mr Tunstill on behalf of another grazier order for 248c/kg and $918.

The Farris family's two pens of Angus cross heifers sold to stronger liveweight values, with Greg Jones snapping up both pens of 10 heifers each weighing from 335-350kg, paying to 232c/kg for a local lotfeeding order.

HW Marsiske, Pinjarra, sold a pen of five Murray Grey cross heifers weighing 320kg to a Cundinup buyer for 230c/kg,

while Balcormo Pastoral Company's, Waroona, sale draft of Limousin and Angus cross heifers in four pens weighing 313-328kg all sold for 228c/kg with two pens also going to the Cundinup buyer.

The sale rounded the corner to the dairy origin cattle, starting with the only pen of first cross liveweight steers, with the eight Angus-Friesian steers weighing 506kg from BD, DM & SJ Yates, Witchcliffe, knocked down to Mr Gallop for Kookabrook at 220c/kg and $1114.

Grown Friesian steers also from the Yate's paddocks topped at 200c/kg for both pens containing seven, weighing 605kg and six at 601kg selling to Wade Krawczyk, Elders Waroona, for $1210 and $1202 respectively for a Waroona grazier.

Not far off top price was the first pen of six Friesian steers weighing 678kg from the Bellridge Park, Myalup, draft when purchased by Graham Brown for a processor at $1207 at 178c/kg.

Mr Krawczyk also purchased two pens of Bellridge Park steers.

SE Collett's, Pemberton, draft of Friesian steers in three pens of nine weighing 490-520kg also sold to the section's equal top price of 200c/kg paid by Mr Martinson for one of two pens to cost $1038.

MJ Hewson, Dardanup, presented a draft of 34 Friesian steers weighing 438-527kg across four pens, with Mr Tunstill representing a Boyanup grazier collecting two pens and paying to the draft's 192c/kg and $1012 top price.

Young first cross steers kicked off the appraisal section starting with a large draft of 55 Angus-Friesian steers in four lines from Rodwell Farms, Boyanup, which sold for the section's top values from $520-$600.

Mr Watling handed back selling duties to Mr Williams for the final stretch and purchased two pens of Rodwell steers for a local client including the $600 top price.

Mr Watling also added eight Angus-Friesian steers from AD & EA Rowe, Albany, for $555.

Rodney Galati, Brunswick, was active throughout the sale and included in his purchases was a trio of first cross steers from Kingsley McSwain, Chapman Hill, for $560.

Mr Tunstill filled another local order with five pens of first cross steers paying to $520 for a pen of the Rodwell steers.

The older end of appraisal Friesian steers topped at $350 for five offered by RP & SS McFerran, Cowaramup, purchased by Elders Nannup agent Terry Tarbotton.

Armed with a few orders, Mr Tarbotton collected 10 pens of young Friesian steers including the $300 top poddie value paid for two lines of 17 and 18 offered by G Adams and C Lee, Boyanup.

A small offering of first cross heifer poddies topped at $320 for eight Angus-Friesians from the Rowe's sale draft.

Rounding out proceedings was a selection of cows and calves with values topping at $1600 twice for good quality heavy 3-5th calving Angus cows not rejoined with Angus and Speckle Park calves at foot.

What the agent said

Elders auctioneer and Margaret River agent Alec Williams said all in all, his final store sale before retiring at the end of the month, was a good one.

"Feeder beef steers and heifers were up 20-30c/kg on the previous month's sale and lighter weight grazier steers were 40-50c/kg stronger," Mr Williams said.

"Lightweight heifers met stronger competition than previous sales to be up 20-30c/kg.

"Heavier older Friesian steers suitable to finish this year were up 20-30c/kg and poddies remained equal and still present good opportunity buying.

"Good heavy cows and calves made to $1600, quality driven."