Northwest coast backgrounders and finishers maintained the pressure on demand as selling continued in the Roberts Limited series of annual weaner sales at its Powranna Markets Complex, near Launceston on Thursday.
The northwest coast demand, according Roberts Limited auctioneer Nick Towns, secured almost 80 percent of the 1700-strong penning along with willing support offered by the Tas Feedlot, and the two Tasmanian processors in Greenham, Smithton and JBS Longford.
Mr Towns described the day as another solid result whereby main steer lots, 300-330kg, made $4/kg and plenty of their lighter 2nd-run brother draft, 260-270kg, consistently made similar money notching up sales around the $1150-$1200 a head mark.
Smaller and younger steers, 200-230kg, Mr Towns said were again petered by determined local inquiry as many again found sales that nudged $5/kg by making $1000-$1100 a head.
The market’s top price of $1530 was secured by a pen of Homevale steers weighed at 468kg.
A second yard of Homevale steers, 432kg made $1450 while Cascades sold 23 Angus steers, 340kg at $1310.
Kinloch sold Angus steers, 353kg at $1320 while Lower Bower Bank sold its Angus steers, 338kg at $1340 a head. A Kinloch pen, 306kg made $1190 while a double yard (38) of Waterhouse Homestead Angus, 276kg made $1220.
The demand for heifers was again strong with many sales fetching rates of 350-400c/kg for penlots weighed up at 270-300kg, Mr Towns said.
Sales of lighter heifers, 230- 260kg said then recorded sales in the $850- $1000 per head bracket, however quality of the heifer yarding quickly faded as breeders hold back numbers for breeding purposes.
A pen of Homevale Angus heifers, 419kg, were among the highest priced at $1250 while a yard of Kinloch Angus heifers, 323kg, made $1300 as the best presented heifer yard.