Widespread rain and reduced numbers continued to fuel demand for Hereford cattle at the nation’s markets in July with heavy steers hitting $2095.
A highlight of the month was a new record top price of 368c/kg achieved at the Alice Springs prime and store sale.
Thomas Foods International paid the top price for European Union-accredited and organically certified Hereford bullocks from Bond Springs Station, Alice Springs. The pens weighed an average of 324-395kg.
At Pakenham, Jones & Fleming, Kilmany, were at the top of the market with Hereford steers at $1380 or 383c/kg while at Sale, J & J Cobain sold Poll Hereford steers, 12 months, for $1160.
Floodwaters affected the Gippsland markets with Herefords topping the Bairnsdale sale at $1500 or 343c/kg, and prime bullocks were in demand at Leongatha where Herefords sold by G Charlton hit $1820.
In the Wodonga NLVX markets, Bogong Park sold Hereford grown steers, 414kg, for $1420 or 343c/kg, and heifers, 330kg, for 327c/kg or $1080. Claredale sold heavy steers, 426kg, for 357c/kg or $1520.
Don Cameron, Bowna, NSW, sold steers, 233kg, for 442c/kg or $1030, and heifers, 15-20 months, 325kg, for $1110.
In the younger heifers, The Anchorage, Mansfield, sold 228kg females for $910 or 399c/kg.
In the prime market at Wodonga, R & L Adams sold heavy 603kg Hereford steers for 347c/kg or $2095.
At the Wangaratta prime market, Kentucky Turf, Bundalong, sold heavy steers, 558kg, for 332c/kg or $1852.
At Dubbo, NSW, Hereford steers, under 200kg, topped at 468c/kg while steers 200-280kg sold to 410c/kg and Hereford cows with calves 2-4 months sold to $1675.
Sid Reynolds, Turee Herefords, Coolah, NSW, sold commercial females to a top of $2700.
Repeat clients Wilson Bros, Tamworth, bought 15 heifers with autumn drop calves for $2700 and the seconds for $2400. Depastured autumn joined heifers at Turee sold for $1450.
Further north at Tamworth, Hereford steers topped the store sale at $1200 for vendor Nick Kelly, Barraba, NSW. He also topped the yearling heifers at $1000.
In Western Australia, the Harlow family, York, sold Hereford steers, 492kg, for 348c/kg or $1713 at the Muchea Livestock Market.
Hereford cross cows set a new record dressed weight price for slaughter cows in WA when Mayanup graziers Jarrahlea Pty Ltd and Henderson-Glendale offered cows, three to 12 years, weighing an average dressed weight of 368kg, to return 469c/kg or $1728.
Poll Hereford cows topped the market at Mount Pleasant, SA, for MacLachlan Props, Pewsey Vale, at $1700
On AuctionsPlus, PTIC heifers, 25-32 months, from Inverell, NSW, fetched $1455. The rising three-year-olds were joined to Mountain Valley blood Poll Hereford bulls.
PTIC cows, seven years, from Galore, NSW, sold for $1370 and PTIC cows, 5-7 years, from Seymour, Vic, made $1700 on line.
Backgrounder purebred steers, 16-22 months, 316kg, from Orange, NSW, returned 401c/kg or $1270 while feeder steers, 419kg, sold for 360c/kg or $1510.
In the Black Baldy prices, weaner steers topped at Dubbo store sale at 459c/kg and sold to 432c/kg or $840 for six to seven month old steers, from Bingara, NSW, on AuctionsPlus.
The heifer portion from Bingara, weighing 193kg, made 341c/kg or $660 and backgrounder steers, 448kg, from Walcha, NSW, sold for 349c/kg or $1565.
In the Wodonga market, B & M Byrne, Mansfield, received $1425 or 362c/kg for 14-15 month old Black Baldy steers, weighing 393kg, and Edunda Livestock received $1345 or 362c/kg for 372kg steers.
Mill Plain, Jerilderie, sold two tooth Black Baldy steers at Wodonga for 333-360c/kg or $1210-$1290, while weaner steers, 9-10 months, from Guyra, NSW, fetched 379c/kg or $1250 on AuctionsPlus.
PTIC Black Baldy cows, seven years, from Galore, NSW, made $1400 on AuctionsPlus, and unjoined cows with calves, three years, from Woomargama, NSW, returned $2100.
Milk tooth Black Baldy steers set the red centre alight at the Alice Springs store sale.
The steers from Lucy Creek Station weighed 360kg and sold for 354c/kg or $1275 to Princess Royal. The station also sold two tooth steers, 428kg, for 338c/kg or $1448.
In the Hereford cross cattle, 17-21 month old steers, 434kg, from Coonabarabran, NSW, sold for $1520 on AuctionsPlus.
At Queensland markets, Trevor Osborne, Mt Alford, sold Hereford cross steers, two years, for $1525 at the Beaudesert store sale.
A tremendous line of Santa Gertrudis-Hereford cross No 5 heifers from Wandoan sold to heavy competition at Biggenden, Qld, for 334-338c/kg or $1263.
Hereford-Droughtmaster trade steers, 12-15 months, from Pinkett, NSW, made 365c/kg or $1201 and Red Angus-Hereford cross, 234kg, sold for 384c/kg or $900 on AuctionsPlus.
Drummond Slope, Alpha, Qld, sold 332kg Hereford cross steers for 348c/kg or $1150 in the Blackall fat and store sale.
The Eastern Young Cattle Indicator finished the month on 687c/kg – up from 659.25c/kg last month.
Meat and Livestock Australia reports short fed (100-120 days on feed) EU steers, weighing 380-500kg, averaging 381c/kg – up from 365c/kg last month.
In the domestic paddock sales, steers (280-350kg) averaged 363c/kg and heifers (same weight) averaged 344c/kg.
NSW over-the-hooks rates for MSA yearling steers stood at 606c/kg for 280-300kg carcass weight.