Hereford and Hereford cross cattle set the red centre alight yesterday with a new record top price of 368c/kg at the Alice Springs prime and store sale.
Selling agents Territory Rural McPherson, Landmark and Elders yarded 3560 cattle for the fixture at the Bohning Yards, Roe Creek on July 28.
The sale was attended by a large contingent of processors, lotfeeders and backgrounders, including Thomas Foods International, Teys Australia, Australian Meat Group, Ralphs Meat Company, O’Connors Quality Meats, Midfield Group, Grant Daniel Long, and JBS Australia.
TFI paid the top price of 368c/kg for European Union-accredited and organically certified Hereford bullocks from Bond Springs Station, Alice Springs.
The pens weighed an average of 324 to 395kg.
Teys Australia paid 239c/kg for aged Hereford cows, 405kg, EU accredited, also from Bond Springs.
Territory Rural McPherson livestock manager David Eagleson said the prices achieved were well above expectations.
Mr Eagleson said in the general run of cattle, feeder steers topped at 332c/kg.
Lot feeder Morgan Pastoral, Queensland, paid 332c/kg for Santa Gertrudis-Hereford cross bullocks, 520kg, from White Gums Station.
Hereford cows from Lucy Creek Station, averaging 464kg, sold for 249c/kg or $1159.
Hereford cross bullocks, 620kg, were sold by Lucy Creek for 295c/kg while several pens weighing more than 500kg sold up to 322c/kg.
Mr Eagleson said Black Baldy steers, 582kg, returned 300c/kg and lighter Black Baldies at 360kg sold for 358c/kg to Korunye Park feedlot in South Australia.
He said all cattle were pre-weighed and fed in the pens, with just a handful of pens purchased on their organic status.
Mr Eagleson said vendors were pleased to receive prices around 100c/kg above last year’s sale.
“We do appreciate all the support from the processors, lotfeeders and backgrounders,’’ he said.
“I thought if the sale had topped at 300c/kg on the heavy cattle, we would have been going well.
“The lighter end of the cows was quite expensive.
“We are having a good season generally – the region has had good rain with three quarters of the places around here sitting pretty.’’
The previous record price of 294c/kg was set at last year’s sale by Platinum Ag for 12-month-old Poll Hereford cross steers, weighing 321.3kg, offered by Allan and Jo Fogarty, Lucy Creek Station.