Peaking at $4.33 a kilogram, store cattle values have defied the recent slide in slaughter market prices at the annual Kerr & Co Livestock spring store cattle sale held at the Hamilton saleyards on Thursday.
Operating in the company’s largest ever yarding of 3417 a large gallery of western-border and Gippsland bullock finishers supported the sale along with renewed interest displayed by an eager following of export and domestic lot feeders.
One of the many highlights of the day was the sale of the Greenhills line of EU-accredited Murray Grey steers offered by the Boyd family of Minhamite.
These were sold to repeat buyer from last year, Princes Royal Station feedlot, Burra, South Australia, who paid to 387c/kg for the line main yard of 84 weighed at 482kg and realised $1865 a head.
The sale’s opening yard was offered for Estate of David Powling, a well known and respected former agent of the Kerr & Co company.
Sold on behalf of his wife, Sally Powling, her Bo-My Angus steers, 609kg, Toora West blood, made 327c/kg to return $1991 a head on a bid placed Thomas Food International (TFI).
The TFI order was a leading contributor to demand in the opening lane booking pens offered by Belmont Farms- 14 Angus, 579kg at 320c/kg; and 26 Angus, 548kg at 324c/kg along with 20 Angus, 496kg bought at 352c/kg from Mountain View and 43 Angus, 462kg secured at 355c/kg also from Mountain View.
The honour for the fiercely contested David Powling Memorial best presented yard was awarded to David and Robyn Roach for their draft of Kilkenny Angus steers.
Their lead yard of 21, 424kg, made 386c/kg or $1636 a head while their principal line comprising 80 head, 404kg, made 394c/kg or $1591.
The market toppers, sold at 433c/kg, were a line of EU-accredited Murroa East Angus steers offered by the Delaney family of Mt Napier Road.
Their yard of 41 weighed 325kg or $1407 while a heavier pen of 66 from the Murroa East draft, weighed 367kg, made 418c/kg or $1534 a head.