A big crowd of buyers and vendors descended on the Benambra yards for the opening Elders whiteface fixture of the 83rd annual Mountain Calf Sales on March 7. Restockers and local grass fatteners went head-to-head on the quality Hereford heifers at the Benambra Weaner Sale which followed on from the Calf Sale held at Hinnomunjie saleyards earlier in the day.
The selling agents Elders Omeo penned 1700 Hereford, Hereford cross and Euro steers and heifers for the fixture.
Hereford spring drop steers sold from $1830 to $2090 and the focus was on the autumn drop weaners where prices finished at $750-$1810.
A limited offering of Hereford/Shorthorn steers sold for $1600-$1720.
In the heifers, purebred Hereford prices ranged from $600-$1360 a very similar market to the Hinnomunjie sale.
Major buyers included Costello Rural, Delaney Livestock and Property, Injemira Beef Genetics, Elders Holbrook, Elders Korrumburra, Corcoran Parker, Mokoan Livestock Agency, Wellington Livestock, Elders Omeo, Elders Wagga Wagga, Elders Gundagai and Nutrien Ivone Agencies.
The opening pens of spring drop 2021 steers topped at $2090 for Beloka Pastoral and bought by Gippsland steer finisher Graeme Osborne.
Elders southern livestock manager Matt Tinkler judged the Herefords Australia champion pen and awarded the sash to Russell and Steph Cornall, Benambra, for their pen of 26 steers.
Mr Tinkler said the steers exhibited temperament, bone, consistency, evenness and length.
The Mawarra, Sugarloaf Creek, Karoonda and Warragundi blood steers sold for $1650 to Marc Greening, Injemira Beef Genetics, Book Book, NSW.
It was the first champion pen award for the young Cornall family at the sale.
“I thought you had to live here for at least 100 years before you could win one,” Mr Cornall said.
The couple offered 101 steers and 24 heifers after retaining 110 heifers as replacements.
“Last year’s good prices enabled us to reduce debt and helped set us up for this year,” Mr Cornall said.
Mr Cornall aims to breed quiet, medium framed, easy doing cattle that fatten reasonably quickly.
“All our cattle are worked with low stress stock handling techniques in the yards. It keeps the labour input cost down and the cattle do well straight away for the buyers.”
Topping the autumn drop Hereford steers was Ray and Max Pendergast, Benambra, with a pen of 14, March/April drop steers selling for $1810 to Delaney Livestock and Property.
Richard and Anne Faithfull, Benambra, topped the heifers with a pen of 22, Greenham Never Ever accredited, and returning $1360 to Elders Omeo.
The couple had offered 67 steers and 75 heifers of the April/May drop steers.
Among the restockers active on the heifers were Darren Askew, Mokoan Livestock Agency, Benalla, paying $1160 for a pen of 22 from Russell and Steph Cornall, and Robert Newnham, Longford, paying $1310 for a pen from Ray and Max Pendergast.
Scott Anderson, Benambra, sold 22 steer weaners for $1560 and runs a herd of 150 Hereford cows.
He does grow out some steers on improved pasture to two-year-olds weighing 700-800kg for Greenham Never Ever and JBS programs. Scott yard weans and supplementary feeds the cattle to have them quiet for the annual Benambra sale.
His parents, Clive and Di Anderson, had sold Black Baldy steers to $1740 at Omeo this year, well back on their $2400 top of last year which is a general trend across all categories and sales in 2023. They also sold their top pen of Herefords at Benambra for $1550 to Phil Gledhill, Elders Holbrook.
David Hill, Elders Omeo, said the top-quality autumn drop weaners had sold “exceptionally well”.
“Rate wise cents per kilogram it was better than expectations – on the comeback of last year’s averages we’ve had a fair old reality check but that’s where the industry is at the moment,” Mr Hill said.
“There are a lot of areas which are not getting rain at the moment and a lot of cattle sitting in paddocks waiting to be processed on the basis of last year’s prices.
“Export kill numbers are heavy and (affecting the) price which is reflected in the weaner sales – that’s happening everywhere.
“Cattle have sold to Bathurst, Holbrook and Wagga Wagga – the sale was well supported, particularly by the Elders network.”
Mr Hill said restockers and local grass fatteners had competed on the heifers.
Steers
A & J Nielsen: 6, Hereford, $1830
Beloka Pastoral: 20, Hereford, $2090
Ray and Max Pendergast: 14, Hereford, $1810
R & A Faithfull: 34, EU, Hereford, $1750
K & J Pendergast: 17, EU, Hereford, $1740
B & Est L Pendergast: 23, Hereford and Hereford/Shorthorn, EU, $1720
A & S Pendergast: 20, Hereford, $1700
R & S Cornall: 26, Hereford, $1650
A & S Pendergast: 37, Hereford, $1630
WA Pendergast: 29, EU, Hereford, $1620
D J Tomkins: 16, Hereford/Shorthorn, $1600
R & M Pendergast: 18, Hereford, $1500
C & D Anderson: 21, Hereford, $1550
Heifers
R & A Faithfull: 22, Hereford, $1360
Ray and Max Pendergast: 6, Hereford, $1310
K & J Pendergast: 16, EU, Hereford, $1280
Ray and Max Pendergast: 10, Hereford, $1260
P & S Soutter: 22, Hereford, $1210
R & S Cornall: 22, Hereford, $1160
WA Pendergast & Son: 26, EU, Hereford, $1120
WJC Pendergast: 6, Hereford, $1110
Benambra Weaner sale. Elders agents taking bids.
Richard Faithfull and granddaughter Ella Faithfull with their pen of 34 steers which sold for $1750 to Delaney Livestock and property.
Benambra weaner sale crowd.
Travis Sutton from Stratford, VIC and Lachy Jorgensen from Maffra, VIC.
Scott Anderson, Benambra, sold a pen of 22 steers for $1560 at the Benambra Weaner Sale.
Russell Cornall, Benambra, sold these Mawarra, Sugarloaf Creek, Karoonda and Warragundi blood steers for $1650.
Russell Cornall, Benambra, with judge Matt Tinkler, Elders, and the Herefords Australia champion pen at the Benambra Weaner Sale.
Ray and Max Pendergast sold this pen of 14 March/April drop steers for $1810 to Delaney Livestock and Property.
The Elders Omeo and Bairnsdale team selling the autumn drop steers.
Di and Clive Anderson, Benambra, sold this pen of 21 steers, Greenhams Never Ever accredited, for $1550 to Elders Holbrook.
Darren Askew, Mokoan Livestock Agency, Benalla, bought heifers from Russell and Steph Cornall for $1160.
Maddie Hart-Fisher, Glenn Bowman and Anna Lord, Bowman Performance Genetics, Neerim, Vic.
The autumn drop steer weaners sold for $750-$1810 at the Benambra Weaner Sale.
Lexi Faithful (6) and Nicole Faithful from Corryong with Amanda Pendergast from Benambra
