NSW buyers keen to get young cattle onto fast growing oats crops dominated the buying of 1400 top quality Angus/Santa/Charolais weaners offered by Kindee Pastoral Company in Roma today (Tuesday).
Bred on Cowangah, Taroom, and Muya, Injune, a total of 800, 10-month-old 310kg steers sold for an average 450c/kg live for a top of 464c. The 600, 290kg heifers were in equally strong demand, averaging an impressive 420c.
The weaners were auctioned by Bred Nevin, Watkins and Co, and, in a first for Kindee, also offered through AuctionsPlus.
A very pleased Kindee principal Andrew Murray said it was remarkable to see cattle prices 30-40 per cent above where they were 12 months ago.
In the 42 years Kindee weaners had been sold through Roma, they had never sold for higher prices, he said.
On a more sombre note it was one of the few sales Mr Murray's father Ian had not attended, having passed away aged 90, seven weeks ago.
While the annual draft of Kindee weaners has long been a feature of the Roma saleyards, it was the first time the cattle were jointly offered on AuctionsPlus.
"With all the restrictions associated with COVID-19 we used AuctionsPlus to make sure that particularly the repeat buyers had an opportunity to bid on the cattle," Mr Murray said.
"It seems to have been a good move because there was plenty of competition."
While there has been little rain in the past two months on Kindee's Injune or Taroom country, Mr Murray said the pasture remained in good condition, unaffected to date by frost.
About 9100 cattle were sold at Roma today (Tuesday).
