Buyers from three states jockey for quality autumn drop white face calves

Home News Buyers from three states jockey for quality autumn drop white face calves

Buyers from three states jockey for quality autumn drop white face calves

8 January 2026

Trucks headed to all points of the compass as buyers from three states competed on the first offering of whiteface mixed sex weaners in the southern Australian sales circuit for 2026.

Selling agents Corcoran Parker, Rodwells Peter Ruaro Livestock and Property, Brian Unthank Rural, and Schubert Boers yarded 2950 cattle for the opening fixture at the Northern Victorian Livestock Exchange, the Premier Hereford, Hereford cross and Euro Grown and Weaner Sale on January 8.

Grossing $4.62 million, the sale resulted in an overall average of $1653 or 489c/kg – up $302 or 92c/kg on last year’s sale – and $1412 or 447c/kg for heifers – up $407/head or 126c/kg c/kg on 2024.

According to NVLX, Victorian buyers took the majority of the yarding home at 38.3 per cent while NSW buyers consumed 33.7 per cent and Queensland stepped up to outlay 27.6 per cent of the offering.

Backgrounders, steer finishers and restockers outbid lot feeders and processors to purchase 81.7 per cent of the total yarding, with lot feeders accounted for 15 per cent and processors just 3.3 per cent. Queensland feedlots secured the largest share of the feedlot cattle. The sale featured 104 vendors and 73 buyers.

Cashed up steer finishers were happy to push prices along on cattle with weight after selling their steers from last year’s sales for around $3000 over the hooks in late 2025.

The sale opened on the heavy grown Hereford steers weighing over 350kg, selling for $1570-$2410 or 419-491c/kg.

With the focus squarely on the autumn drop weaners, the purebred calves over 330kg made $1610-$1850 or 419-491c/kg – vendors were able to pocket an extra $230/head on last year’s top prices.

Hereford steers weighing 280-330kg finished at $1180-$1640 or 427-554c/kg and the lighter weights under 280kg settling at $1130-$1200 or 413-504c/kg.

In the black baldy steer weaners, those over 350kg sold for $1730-$1890 or 470-533c/kg and the middle run of 280-350kg made $1240-$1750 or 482-567c/kg.

In the Hereford heifers, those grown females over 350kg made $1520-$1920 or 433-475c/kg and the lighter heifers under 350kg sold for $940-$1450 or 413-444c/kg. The black baldy heifers made $1420-$1830 or 435-481c/kg.

Among the active buyers were Corcoran Parker, Schubert Boers, Injemira Beef Genetics, Juandah Plains, Wandoan, Grant Daniel Long Toowoomba, Elders Tamworth, Alex Scott & Staff Pakenham, and Kevin Miller Whitty Lennon & Co, Forbes.

Northeast Victorian producers Stewart and Ian Jones, Huon, took out the Herefords Australia champion pen of autumn drop steers with a pen of 13 Rosstulla blood steers. The brothers switched out of dairying for beef, choosing the Hereford breed and run around 50 cows on highly improved pastures.

Weighing 329kg, the pen was bought by Marc Greening, Injemira Genetics, Book Book, for $1620 or 492c/kg for a grass-fed program.

They were judged by Andrew Turvey, Willinga Pastoral Co general manager, Wandoan, Queensland, impressing with their consistency, weight for age, and bone.

Mr Turvey was attending the northeastern Victorian weaner sales to purchase backgrounding cattle after experiencing a good season on the company’s Wandoan aggregation.

Willinga had bought Hereford weaners from the Western Districts sales for the last three years and was impressed with the cattle’s consistent performance under Queensland conditions.

Mr Turvey sourced several thousand weaned steers and heifers at 320-380kg liveweight at $1600-$1800 or 530-550c/kg over the week, factoring in transport costs of $100/head over the 1400km trip.

The weaners are destined for 100-day grain feeding at Allied Beef’s Gunyerwarildi feedlot at Warialda.

Willinga also has 750 Hereford cattle on feed at Mathoura, in southern NSW, for Coles, and Mr Turvey was impressed by their performance during a visit this week.

He said the breed’s reduced days to slaughter resulted in a nine month turn around on the weaners bought out of Hamilton last year.

“Every purchase out of the Western Districts last year were out of our system by October as heavy feeders. At Mathoura they go straight on the bunks without any sickness and perform for us.”

David Trethowan, Wentworth Ag, Cookardinia, rang the bell for the top price in the autumn drop Hereford steers at $1850 or 497c/kg for a pen of 20 Wentworth blood cattle weighing 372kg. A lift of around 100c/kg on last year, they were bought by Craig Schubert, Schubert Boers, for an Upper Murray steer finisher.

Mr Trethowan also topped the heavy grown steers across the yarding with a pen weighing 532kg and returning $2410 or 453c/kg.

Selling a total of 124 steers, Mr Trethowan had experienced a challenging season like most vendors and was keen to recoup silage expenses.

On a cents per kilogram basis Sandra Forrest, Everton Upper, topped the sale on 554c/kg or $1640 for a pen of 18 Granite Hills, Kanimbla and Rotherfield blood steers, weighing 296kg, and bought by Rodwells Peter Ruraro, Albury.

Brothers Brian and David Wright, Sandy Creek, sold spring drop steers, 12 months, 428kg, Tarcombe and Mawarra blood, for $2080 or 485c/kg to Alex Scott & Co, Pakenham. Their seconds weighing 373kg made $1810 or 485c/kg.

The second generation Hereford breeders run 130 cows and carried the draft of 61 steers through for the weaner fixture despite the dry conditions.

Cosi Creek, Alexandra, sold the top price black baldy steers on a cents per kilogram with 567c/kg or $1680 for a pen weighing 296kg. John Scales, Dartmouth, topped the black baldy weaners on $1890 or 470c/kg with European Union and Greenham Never Ever accredited, Glenellerslie blood, steers.

Feeder demand was strong on the heavier heifers with few lots returning to the paddock, with J and J Larkin selling Hereford heifers, Rotherfield blood, 12 to 14 months, and 436kg, to make $1920 or 440c/kg.

Martin and Jo McNamara, Nariel Valley, sold Newcomen blood heifers, 353kg, for $1680 or 475c/kg to Elders Tamworth.

Michael Unthank, Brian Unthank Rural, said the Hereford, black baldy and Euro cross feeder weight steers at 470-480c/kg sold stronger than earlier in the week.

“There was a magnificent run of Hereford steer calves with the feature line selling very well at 500c/kg,” Mr Unthank said.

“The heavy heifers kicked off well with most staying around 460-470c/kg and purchased by breeders, backgrounders or feedlottters.

“The buyer support has been enormous with a lot of Queenslanders buying cattle with weight, along with the Goulburn Valley, and the sale augers well for the New Year.”

Mr Unthank said the extreme weather had been a challenge for the market, creating some buyer caution.

“Our local bullock fatteners received around $3000 prior to Christmas for their bullocks so they are happy to go up to that $1700 or $1800, and this has kept the market buoyant.”

Quotes

Autumn drop Hereford steers

Wentworth Ag, Cookardinia: 20, Wentworth blood, 372kg, $1850 or 497c/kg

John Scales, Dartmouth: 12, 360kg, Glenellerslie blood, EU and Greenham accred, $1720 or 477c/kg

T Ralston, Euroa: 20, Rosstulla and Morganvale blood, 338kg, 10-11 months, $1690 or 500c/kg

Cosi Creek, Alexandra: 15, 334kg, Bovilis treated, $1680 or 502c/kg

Sandra Forrest, Everton Upper: 18, 296kg, Granite Hill, Kanimbla and Rotherfield blood, $1640 or 554c/kg

B & K Thomas: 11, 327kg, Wyeebo blood, $1640 or 501c/kg

S & I Jones, Huon: 13, 329kg, Rosstulla blood, $1620 or 492c/kg

John and Jane Witherow, Murmungee: 26, 335kg, Yavenvale blood, $1610 or 480c/kg

Nankervis Nominees, Colac Colac: 30, 326kg, Sugarloaf and Yavenvale blood, $1590 or 487c/kg

R J Forrest, Murmungee: 13, 293kg, Rosstulla and Kanimbla blood, $1550 or 529c/kg