Trucks were northbound from Wodonga on Friday with whiteface cattle bound for feedlots and backgrounding in the New England and Queensland after a mammoth week of selling, which saw 17,000 head going under the hammer at the Northern Victorian Livestock Exchange.
Selling agents Corcoran Parker, Rodwells Peter Ruaro Livestock and Property, Brian Unthank Rural, and Schubert Boers yarded 3538 cattle for the closing fixture at Wodonga, the Premier Hereford, Hereford cross and Euro Grown and Weaner Sale on January 10.
Grossing $4.24 million, the sale resulted in an overall average of $1351 or 397c/kg for steers – up $296/head or 101c/kg on last year’s sale – and $1005 or 321c/kg for heifers – up $143/head or 68c/kg 253c/kg on 2024.
Buyers operating included Corcoran Parker, Allied Beef, Elders Albury, Grant Daniel Long St George and Toowoomba, Nutrien Ag Solutions Tamworth, Rodwells Benalla, Huon Ag, Premium Livestock Solutions, Brian Unthank Rural, Rodwells Ruaro, Schubert Boers and commission buyers Graham Ward and David Gillett.
Michael Unthank, Brian Unthank Rural, said the Hereford, black baldy and Euro cross steers sold on par with the previous day’s sale at Wodonga at 430-450c/kg for the heavy end of the weaners.
“The steers are up 20-30c/kg on prices prior to Christmas so we can’t complain,” Mr Unthank said.
“The heavy heifers were a little easier by 10-15c/kg with few going back to the paddock but we are rapt with the whole sale and vendors were happy.
“Most cattle today have gone north onto feedlots or backgrounding right into southern Queensland and northern NSW – they have beenbene strong all week and buying big numbers putting a real base in the job.
“We’ve had 23,000 cattle through here this week, and it has gone better than we anticipated.”
Southern NSW producer Edmund Laffan, Deloraine Rural, Morven, took out the Herefords Australia champion pen of autumn drop steers with a run of 54 Mountain Valley, Tycolah, Merawah and Valley View blood weaners.
Yard weaned in December, the nine- to 10-month-old steers weighed 396kg and sold for $1460 or 396c/kg.
They were judged by livestock agent Bradley Sadler, Nutrien Ag Solutions Tamworth, impressed with their weight for age, bone, length and carcase.
Mr Sadler had spent the week at Wodonga buying steers for backgrounding in the Tamworth district to feeder or trade weights.
“I am chasing an average of 300kg liveweight with a lot of Herefords going up to Tamworth, Walcha and into Queensland from these sales. They always perform and are consistent,” he said.
“There are a lot of quality cattle at Wodonga in big lines, and there are never any issues with quality and performance.”
Vendor Edmund Laffan returned to Wodonga after a six-year break rebuilding herd numbers to 600 females and supplying the grass-fed Coles Graze program and Australian Meat Group.
“The season is a bit challenging so we have brought the calves in here – we had half a dozen calves weighing over 420kg at 10 months,” he said.
Brothers Brian and David Wright, Sandy Creek, rang the bell for the top price in the autumn drop Hereford steers at $1620 or 399c/kg for a pen of 28 Mawarra and Tarcombe blood cattle weighing 406kg. The seconds weighing 349kg made $1370 or 392c/kg.
Brian said the top price was a rise of $600 on last year’s steers and plans to invest in farm maintenance and new genetics.
“Buyers were looking for the weight today. Repeat buyer Ross Hodgkin bought our second pen.”
K and S Richardson, Baranduda North, topped the heavy grown Hereford steers with a pen weighing 472kg and aged 15 to 16 months selling for $1840 or 389c/kg.
On a cents per kilogram basis, John and Jane Witherow, Murmungee, topped the autumn drop steers at 425c/kg with a pen of 26 Yavenvale blood steers, eight to 10 months and weighing 280kg, snapped up by Justin Way, Rodwells Benalla.
Mr and Mrs Witherow were pleased to pocket an extra $200 on top of last year’s steer prices for their lead pen of Yavenvale blood cattle. The steers aged eight to 10 months weighed 323kg off the back of a challenging year weather wise.
David Trethowan, Cookardinia, topped the sale overall with his black baldy autumn drop steers, Wentworth blood, 263kg and returning 467c/kg or $1230. His run of Hereford steers, 10 to 11 months, Wentworth blood, and 379kg sold to Elders Albury for $1510 or 398c/kg.
Feeder demand was strong on the heifers with few lots returning to the paddock and buyers paying to $1490 for grown heavy heifers weighing 447kg.
D Cameron and Son, Bowna, sold grown heifers, 17 to 20 months, Wirruna blood, and 380kg for $1245 or 327c/kg to Corcoran Parker.
Heavy grown Hereford steers weighing over 350kg, selling for $1540-$1840 or 382-395c/kg.
Autumn drop weaners, purebred calves over 350kg made $1310-$1620 or 364-398c/kg – vendors were able to pocket an extra $335/head on last year’s top prices.
Steers weighing 280-350kg finished at $1000-$1320 or 311-425c/kg and the lighter and the lighter weights under 280kg settling at $900-$1240 or 362-405c/kg.
In the black baldy steer weaners, those over 350kg sold for $1400-$1600 or 382-410c/kg and the middle run of 280-350kg made $1230-$1460 or 401-464c/kg.
In the heifers, those grown females over 300kg made $1050-$1490 or 314-333c/kg and the lighter heifers under 300kg sold for $600-$860 or 296-317c/kg
$500-$860 or 170-251c/kg.
The black baldy heifers over 300kg made $1000-$1430 or 306-339c/kg and those under 300kg $750-$900 or 311-326c/kg.
Quotes
Grown Hereford steers:
K & S Richardson, Baranduda North: 26, 15-16 months, Wirruna blood, 472kg, $1840 or 389c/kg
B & K Attree, Tallangatta Valley: 10, 13-14 months, 452kg, $1750 or 387c/kg
Mundoora Pastoral, Jerilderie: 40, 15 months, Glentrevor blood, 438kg, $1700 or 388c/kg
M & J McNamara, Nariel Valley: 8, 12 months, Newcomen blood, 410kg, $1580
Autumn drop Hereford steers
J & T Wright, Sandy Creek: 28, 12 months, Mawarra and Tarcombe blood, 406kg, $1620 or 399c/kg
Wentworth Ag, Cookardinia: 28, Wentworth blood, 379kg, $1510 or 398c/kg
Deloraine Rural, Holbrook: 54, Mountain Valley, Tycolah, Merwah and Valley View blood, 368kg, $1460 or 396c/kg
A & K Heinecke, Tumbarumba: 15, Yavenvale blood, 351kg, $1380 or 393c/kg
T Ralston, Euroa: 18, Rosstulla and Morganvale blood, 338kg, $1300 or 384c/kg
J F Witherow, Murmungee: 26, Yavenvale blood, 8-10 months, 323kg, $1260 or 390c/kg
J & R Scales, Dartmouth: 21, Glenellerslie blood, EU and Greenhams Never Ever accred, 333kg, $1250 or 375c/kg
S & I Jones, Huon: 18, Rosstulla, 10 months, 319kg, $1220 or 382c/kg
R K Chappel: 14, Echarina blood, 298kg, $1210 or 406c/kg
B & K Thomas, Tallangatta: 10, Wyeebo blood, 8-10 months, 320kg, $1210 or 378c/kg
Hereford heifers
D Cameron & Sons, Bowna: 28, 17-20 months, Wirruna blood, 380kg, $1245 or 327c/kg
Callaghans Creek, Mitta Mitta: 12, 372kg, $1190 or 319c/kg
D & A Wilson, Bungowannah: 27, Newcomen, Allandale and Wirruna blood, 14 months, 355kg, $1170 or 329c/kg
A & L Frauenfelder, Yackandandah: 11, 8-11 months, 350kg, $1100 or 314c/kg
M & J McNamara, Nariel Valley: 13, 12 months, 343kg, Newcomen blood, $1090 or 317c/kg
Mundoora Pastoral, Jerilderie: 19, 12 months, 322kg, $1050 or 326c/kg
Nankervis Nominees, Corryong: 28, Sugarloaf, Yavenvale and Deloraine blood, 271kg, $860 or 317c/kg

Trevor Ralston, Euroa, offered 21 Rosstulla and Morganvale blood weaners, with the tops weighing 338kg and making $1300 or 384c/kg and 415c/kg for his seconds weighing 291kg.

The heavier end of the autumn drop Hereford weaners sold for $1310-$1620 or 364-398c/kg.

Edmund and Joel Laffan, Deloraine Pastoral, Morven, accept the Herefords Australia champion pen sash from judge Bradley Sadler, Nutrien Ag Solutions Tamworth, and Herefords Australia chairman Marc Greening.

David Trethowan, Wentworth Ag, Cookardinia, sold his top pen of autumn drop steers weighing 379kg for $1510 or 398c/kg.

Joel and Edmund Laffan, Deloraine Pastoral, Morven, took out the Herefords Australia champion pen.

John and Jane Witherow, Murmungee, topped the autumn drop steers at 425c/kg with a pen of 26 Yavenvale blood steers, eight to 10 months and weighing 280kg.

Autumn drop steers weighing 280-360kg sold for $1000 to $1320 or 311-425c/kg.

Herefords Australia Youth committee member Tabby Cross presented champion pen winners Joel and Edmund Laffan with a gift on behalf NVLX.

The team from Brian Unthank Rural sells their run of autumn drop steers in a sale which grossed $4.24 million.

Monica, Brian and David Wright, Sandy Creek, sold 12 month old steers, Mawarra and Tarcombe blood, and 406kg for $1620 or 399c/kg.