Bids fired at the Charters Towers saleyard on July 15 for the Queensland Rural special pre-weighed store sale with solid prices recorded across the board.
A total of 2479 head were yarded with quality lines drawn across northern, western and local regions from Georgetown, Charters Towers, Hughenden, Richmond and Normanton.
The steer market set a cracking pace with a pen of 40 Angus cross steers from Hammar Grazing, Glendillon Pastoral Company, Charters Towers, fetching 686c/kg, averaging 219kg to return $1504 per head.
Another notable vendor were Robert and Sally Kirkwood, Lamoy Station, Charters Towers who offloaded a pen of 13 Charbray steers, which sold for 636c/kg averaging 220kg to return $1399 per head.
A further pen of 15 Kirkwood Charolais heifers sold to a top of 478c/kg averaging 198kg to return $947 per head.
Queensland Rural Charters Towers livestock agent Harry Clayton said the pre-weighed element benefited the sale results.
"On the back of this special sale, we are seeing better results than we have been seeing over the past couple of weeks," he said.
"With the sale also being online, we've got a bigger buying panel than we usually do at our normal sale.
"There are larger lines of cattle than what we normally see and they are drafted to how the buyer wants to be buying them.
"They are pre-weighed and pre-treated, which suits the buyers on a whole."
Despite the continued price ease seen over the previous few weeks, Mr Clayton said the market remained competitive with other sale centres across the state.
"Generally, we have seen a decline in the market over the past six weeks," he said.
"That is typical of this time of year. With the change of financial year and the country drying out, there's enough reason for people to move cattle.
"Despite the decline, the money is still very good.
"The vendors can see that these sales do perform."
Mr Clayton said the cattle would predominantly be going back out into the central and western country.
"There is still plenty of action from trading type buyers," he said.
Online bidding also took place through Elite Livestock Auctions.
The next Charters Towers combined agents prime and store sale will take place on July 20.
Sale Highlights:
Top pen of 11 no. 0 steers on account Monsoon Grazing Company made 430c/kg and weighed 401kg to return $1723 per head. A further pen of feeder weight heifers on the same account made 392c/kg and weighed 371kg to return $1456 per head.
Top pen of 13 no. 1 steers on account of Sheahan Land and Cattle made 420c/kg and weighed 445kg to return $1868per head. A further pen of 16 no. 2 steers on the same account made 532c/kg and weighed 331kg to return $1762 per head.
Top pen of 26 PTIC Heifers sold on account of Monsoon Grazing Company for $1650 per head.
Zoe Thomas
Northern based journalist at North Queensland Register and Queensland Country Life.
Northern based journalist at North Queensland Register and Queensland Country Life.
