Prices sizzled on the top end of autumn drop Hereford steers to $1760 as steer finishers jockeyed for the cattle on offer at the Benambra Weaner Sale on Tuesday.
A big crowd of buyers and vendors descended on the Benambra yards for the opening Elders whiteface fixture of the 84th annual Mountain Calf Sales on March 5.
The selling agents Elders Omeo penned 1666 Hereford, Hereford cross and Euro steers and heifers for the fixture to average $1002 and gross $1,669,681. A total of 1012 steers sold for an average of $1171 and 654 heifers averaged $740.
Buyers and visitors were greeted by new-look yards with the first stage of a capital works program completed with gravel laid and pens repaired. A second stage will involve more steel infrastructure and troughs.
Hereford March/April drop steers topped at $1760 while the lighter weight April/May calves sold down to $500.
In the heifers, prices ranged from $420 to $1250.
Major buyers included Costello Rural, Corryong, Everitt Seely & Bennetts, Princes Royal Feedlot, SA, ECM Livestock, Moss Vale, Elders Holbrook, Alex Scott & Staff, Warragul, SEJ Leongatha, Corcoran Parker Wangaratta, Elders Yea, Charles Stewart & Co, Colac, Rodwells Euroa, Nutrien East Gippsland Livestock, Elders Warragul, Nutrien Ivone Agencies, Myrtleford, and Elders Euroa.
Gippsland steer finisher Graeme Osborne judged the Herefords Australia champion pen and awarded the sash to Richard and Anne Faithfull, Benambra, for the sale’s opening pen of April/May drop steers.
The pen of 33 were European Union accredited and Greenhams Never Ever accredited, and fetched a cracking $1760 from Everitt Seely and Bennetts, Koo Wee Rup. This was the top price for the sale.
A feature of the sale was almost every pen accredited under the Greenham Never Ever program for the first time.
Greenham livestock manager Sean Kallady, of Warragul, said the processor had spent the last few years encouraging producers to undertake the accreditation.
“We are proud most of the calves here are in the Never Ever program and many of our suppliers come here to buy cattle,” he said.
“All of these cattle go into the grass-fed program, the Bass Strait brand, while in Tasmania it is Cape Grim. These cattle are nil antibiotics and no grain feeding. Most of our grass-fed product goes domestically and to the US.
“We find with the Hereford program, especially out of the mountains, there is a lot of breeding behind them. We are keen for these cattle to come into our program for the opportunity for people to buy because we know they will hang up well.
“The cattle are definitely performing for us in the chillers and on the MSA index, and we are happy to put them through our plants.
“We find that raw data is so important to the breeders when selling their calves. Having that data tells the story and that becomes part of their bull selection tools as well. Marbling is the key but there is also weight for age and the other components of the MSA system.”
Mr Kallady said the processor was transitioning to having all vendor bred cattle carrying on-farm Never Ever accreditation from October 1.
“It’s another tool in their toolbox for marketing their cattle. The accreditation places importance on animal welfare and most Australian farmers tick the boxes on that.”
Benambra producer Russell Cornall was among the vendors to benefit from the Never Ever accreditation, selling his top pen of autumn drop Mawarra, Karoonda, Sugarloaf Creek and Warragundi blood steers for $1630.
He offered 103 steers and 54 heifers, and has been accredited since the inception of the program.
“We sell all our spring draft direct from the paddock to finishers and they mostly always go into the Never Ever program,” Mr Cornall said.
“We aim for 350kg for the top pen of steers going earlier in the spring and we hear anecdotally how they are performing. We’ve had one particular client buy the steers for the last four years – it’s a good program. We send all of our cull cows to Greenham.”
In the heifer pens, Richard and Anne Faithfull also had the opening pen and claimed the top price of $1250 paid by repeat buyer Darren Askew, Mokoan Livestock Agencies.
Mr Askew bought the March/April drop European and Never Ever accredited heifers, estimated to weigh 370kg, for a commercial producer at Seymour to join to a Hereford bull.
David Hill, Elders Omeo, said the Benambra weaner sale had been one of the better features on a cents per kilogram basis of the Mountain sales circuit.
“Most of the heavier steers were 370-390c/kg for 380-420kg – $1760 for May drop calves is pretty good money. The middle run was on par with what we expected at 260-280kg for $950 -$1100.
“Around 60 per cent of the cattle were staying in Victoria, mainly heading south or into the north east.
“Lot feeders operated on the heavier cattle – the bulk of NSW cattle were bought by ECM Livestock but nothing into southern Queensland at this stage.”
Mr Hill said restockers competed strongly on the top end of the heifers at $950-$1000.
“Then you get into the grass heifers at $750-$850.”
Top quotes
Steers
R & A Faithfull: 33, Herefords, EU, $1760
A & S Pendergast: 30, Hereford, Never Ever, $1730
R & S Cornall: 29, Hereford, Never Ever, $1630
R & M Pendergast: 15, Hereford, Never Ever, $1460
K & J Pendergast: 16, Hereford, EU, Never Ever, $1480
Ray & Max Pendergast: 14, Hereford, Never Ever, $1390
WA Pendergast: 16, Hereford, EU, Never Ever, $1380
D J Tomkins: 17, Hereford, Never Ever, $1370
B & Est L Pendergast: 17, Hereford, Never Ever, $1360
JCM Farms: 10, Hereford, Never Ever, $1340
C & D Anderson: 33, Hereford, Never Ever, $1320
S & L Anderson: 18, Hereford, $1100
Heifers
R & A Faithfull: 24, Hereford, EU, Never Ever, $1250
Ray and Max Pendergast: 12, Hereford, Never Ever, $1150
K & J Pendergast: 12, Hereford, EU, Never Ever, $920
A & S Pendergast: 15, Hereford, Never Ever, $850
DJ Tomkin: 17, Hereford/Shorthorn, $750
WA Pendergast: 29, Hereford, $730
The opening pen of March/April drop heifers, offered by Richard and Anne Faithfull, sell for the top price of $1250.
Darren Askew, Mokoan Livestock Agencies, bought the Faithfull heifers for a Seymour restocker.
Gippsland steer finisher Alan Mitchell and Sean Kallady, Greenham livestock manager, Warragul.
Visiting from South Australia for the first time was stud breeders Alastair and Lachy Day, Bordertown.
Buyers from NSW and Victoria line the pens of autumn drop steers.
Commercial Hereford breeders and first-time buyers Cas and Andy Warner, Athlone, paid $840 for heifers from B and Est L Pendergast.
Richard and Anne Faithfull, Benambra, with their Herefords Australia champion pen.
Nick Cook, Robert Lee and Billie Kelly, Benambra.
Kelvin Pendergast, Benambra, sold this pen of European Union and Never Ever accredited steers for $1480 to Costello Rural, Corryong.
Peter Homann, Elders national livestock manager, and steer finisher Graham Osborne scrutinise the steers from the rail.
Paul Sykes, Karoonda Herefords, Gelantipy, and Laurie Lee, who attended the first calf sales in 1946.
Peter Homann, Elders national livestock manager, with Neil Darby, Alex Scott and Staff, Warragul.
Vendor Richard Faithfull, Benambra, with buyer Darren Askew, Mokoan Livestock Agencies, Benalla.
Rod Tabak, Nar Nar Goon, and Bill Sweeney, SEJ Leongatha. Rod was looking for cattle to fatten and sell over the hooks while Bill was after cattle 350-400kg liveweight.
Russell Cornall, Benambra, sold this pen of autumn drop steers, Mawarra, Sugarloaf Creek, Karoonda, and Warragundi blood steers, for $1630.
The autumn drop steers sold for $500-$1760 and the heifers from $420-$1250.
The large crowd of buyers, vendors and visitors at the Benambra yards.
David Hill, second from left, Elders Omeo, spots a bid from the buyer gallery.
