Charters Towers Combined Agents yarded a total of 1332 cattle at the first prime and store sale in Charters Towers for 2017 on Wednesday February 15.
The yarding consisted of 583 prime cattle and 749 store cattle.
The prime cattle consisted of 158 bullocks, 82 heifers, 318 cows and 25 bulls.
The store cattle yarded consisted of 407 steers, 306 heifers, and 36 cows and calves.
The prime yarding comprised of very few finished bullocks and good lines of cows and heifers dominated the prime section.
The yarding was drawn from Richmond, Collinsville, Ingham, Ayr, Hughenden, Belyando, Townsville, Georgetown, Einasleigh and local and coastal areas.
All descriptions of cattle sold on a consistent and firm market with a good gallery of buyers represented for meatworks, competition and feeder cattle.
There were no live exporters in attendance.
In the prime quotes, bullocks topped at 289c/kg. The pen sold on account of Atkinson Development, Katandra, Hughenden weighing 590kg to return $1706 per head.
Feeder steers topped at 289c/kg for a pen of steers sold by Hewitt Enterprises, weighing 400kg to return $1180 per head.
The best priced trade heifers were presented by Bluff Holdings, Albion Road, which made 265c/kg to weigh 450kg and return $1193 per head.
A pen of heifers sold on account of Pedracini Grazing, Liontown, Charters Towers made 263c/kg, weighing 498kg and returned $1310 per head.
The top pen of cows were sold by VW Grazing, Gainsford, Charters Towers, for 253c/kg and weighed 586kg to return $1485 per head.
Bulls sold on account of Hewitt Enterprises, topped at 245c/kg and weighed 740kg to return $1813 per head.
In the store section, the 749 store cattle were predominantly good lines of weaner steers backed up by small lines of heifers and cows and calves. The weaner steers met with good competition and sold to a top of $390c/kg.
In the best store quotes, a pen of seven steers sold by the Fraser family made 389c/kg. Weighing 138kg they realised $539 per head.
A pen of 10 steers sold by the Forster family, weighing 332kg made 365c/kg and realised $847 per head.
A good pen of 13 heifers sold on account of Gerash NQ, New Hidden Valley, Collinsville made 352c/kg, weighing 144kg to return a good average of $509 per head.
19 cows and calves sold on account of PM and AL Finger, Maiden Park, Emerald, returned $1400 per unit.
Geaney's Real Estate and Livestock director, Jim Geaney, said there was good buyer support across all breeds of cattle.
“The prime sale saw solid meatwork competition,” he said.
“The store market was consistent and firm in price, with cattle buyers coming from areas that had received sufficient rain.”
The next sale at Dalrymple Saleyards is booked for March 1. Mr Geaney is quietly confident the sale will go ahead with weather permitting.