The Central Victorian Livestock Exchange has hosted a powerful and most impressive first-up store cattle market at its new home at Miners Rest on the outskirts of Ballarat.
Built at a reported cost of $30 million, an outstanding display of spring-polished cattle met with broader inquiry fueled by a larger gathering of eager feedlot buyers competing against a hungry following of Western District and South Gippsland backgrounders and finishers.
The market of some 3000 head saw values rose by at least $100 and up to $150 a head compared to the previous monthly store sale conducted at the now-retired saleyards located within Ballarat city’s limits.
An excellent quality yard of steers was sold mostly in price range from 285 to 320 cents a kilogram, with odd sales higher.
Heavy steers, weighed from 550 to 614kg, made from $1680 to a top of $1900 a head while feeder weights, 450-540kg, made $1340 to $1610/head.
Lighter feeders, 360 to 450kg, made $1060 to $1380 while steers, 280 to 360kg, made $940 to $1130/head.
The demand for unjoined heifers was also considerably stronger. Here, prices averaged 268c/kg lwt across a well finished display that carried sufficient cover and finish to attract processing as well as feedlot buying.
Heavy heifers, 360-480kg made $1030 to $1270 while lighter heifers, 280-360kg, made $760 to $960/head.
Following the opening speeches, which saw local state member for Buninyong, Geoff Howard, officially open the facility, two charity steers were offered and sold for $7600 and $7500 a head respectively.
These were generously offered by local farming families, the McKay family’s Marschay Shorthorn stud at Newlyn and John and Claire Fraser’s, Fraser Partners from Bo Peep.