Eastern Victoria agent secures 300 cattle at Ensay, 'exceptional' quality

Elders Delaney Livestock & Property manager and director Anthony Delaney, who recently joined Elders, bought 300 cattle and said the quality at the sale was "exceptional".

He said he bought mostly steers for bullock fatteners, but a few pens of heifers for joining.

"The quality is very consistent every year here, a lot of repeat buyers here coming back for the same cattle," he said.

Delaney Livestock & Property bought pens including EO & DI Newcomen's 21 steers for $1530 and 22 steers for $1500, BC & AJ Newcomen's 21 steers for $1350 and 25 steers for $1100, AM & EJ Prendergast's 20 steers for $1540 and 14 steers for $1500.

Livestock agents at Ensay yarded nearly 1300 head of cattle in the fourth Mountain Calf Sale on Wednesday.

Elders Euroa auctioneer Joe Allen said an emerging trend, showing over the past couple of days generally, was stronger competition for cattle weighing over 300 kilograms.

"When you get down to heifers and steers under 300 kilos, it's very price-point relative, around $750," he said.

He said Tasmanian buyers were at the sale to chase genetics.

"Where else do you go if you want the quality Hereford cattle?

"They're here, so they bought a load to go across the ditch," he said.

"You'd be picking straws between Omeo, Benambra and here for the quality of Hereford cattle.

He said it was a good mix of buyers, with local competition from Gippsland and Warragul, and across Victoria to Yea and Kilmore.

BC & AJ Newcomen sold the best-presented and top pen of steers for the sale to a returning Romsey buyer, with 20 steers, 12 months, weighing at 421 kilograms and 434kg six days later, for $1670 or 384 cents a kilogram.

Long-time vendor Barry Newcomen said it was a "good, solid sale".

"The steers sold well, the heifers - I suppose it's the market at the moment - but in my opinion the heifers are cheap," he said.

"Our top pens sold well because they had weight and they looked good.

"Our others sold all right but I know why they didn't sell better than they should've - we had to wean them early and they had pinkeye trouble so they lacked bloom."

Mr Newcomen said the calves selling better at Ensay were the "fresh" ones.

He also sold 21 steers, 383kg, for $1350 or 352c/kg, 25 steers, 352kg, for $1100 or 313c/kg, 24 steers for $1020, 20 steers for $1060, 27 heifers for $720 and 31 heifers for $780.

EO & DI Newcomen sold 21 steers for $1350, 22 steers for $1500, 16 steers for $1390, 17 steers for $1330 and 17 steers for $1320.

The vendor also sold 18 steers for $1210, 13 steers for $1120, 21 heifers for $1280 and 24 heifers for $760.

AM & EJ Prendergast sold 20 steers for $1540, 20 steers for $1360, eight steers for $950, 20 heifers for $1290, 18 heifers for $800 and 17 heifers for $860.

RA & W Newcomen sold 23 steers for $1540, 45 steers for $1290, 43 steers for $1270, five steers for $990, 15 heifers for $750, 26 heifers for $1230, and 28 heifers for $770.

Bindi Station sold 18 steers for $1400, 18 steers for $1460, 19 heifers for $640, 30 heifers for $790 and 24 heifers for $720.

W McCole sold 23 steers, 9-11 months, for $1380, 15 steers for $960, 22 heifers for $980 and 22 heifers for $750.

GT Farmer sold 14 steers for $1230.

Nunniong Herefords sold 22 steers for $1150, 24 steers for $900, 28 heifers for $740 and 18 heifers for $990.

CR & JH Lloyd sold 18 steers, 362kg, for $1310 or 362c/kg, 17 steers, 342kg, for $1280 or 372c/kg, and 17 steers, 300kg, for $700 or 233c/kg.

AJ McCole sold 18 steers for $850, three steers for $900 and 20 heifers for $710.