HEAVY rain failed to wash away the high spirits of buyers at last week's Sarina cattle sale as a total of 625 head were yarded.
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The yarding consisted of 400 steers, 205 heifers, five cows and 15 cows with calves, which attracted a strong gallery of buyers.
However, stock agent Paul Cooper, Nutrien Mackay, said the wet weather restricted many buyers from attending the sale.
"It was a very good yarding with some good quality calves coming forward early, which received very strong competition from buyers from Proserpine, Rockhampton, Baralaba, Arcadia Valley and Clermont, as well as local buyers," Mr Cooper said.
"Local competition probably wasn't a strong as we would have liked purely because the heavens opened up and we had the best part of two inches of rain, which meant it was a little too difficult for some people to move cattle locally."
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Among the highlights of the steer offering was a pen of Brangus steers offered by Kahma F/T, Farleigh, that sold for $1460 a head, while a draft of Droughtmaster steers offered by Jim and Bronwyn Wiseman, Kuttabul, sold for $1340/hd and a run of crossbred steers from Marion Keir, Sarina, sold for $1160.
Also among the section's highlights was a pen of Droughtmaster steers from Russell Townsend, Blue Mountain that sold for $1290 and a draft of about 55 grey Brahman weaner steers offered by Rangemore Pastoral Proserpine, which topped at $1220 to average $1175.
"Older steers made from $1200 to $1500, while the heavier end of our weaner steers made $1150 to a top of $1340 with the lighter more immature types making $850 to $1150," Mr Cooper said.
It was a similar story in the female section of the sale, which was highlighted by a run of Brangus heifers offered by T Legarde, Habana, which sold for $1060 and the female grey Brahman weaner heifers offered by Rangemore Pastoral, which topped at $960.
"Older heifers made from $900 to $1230 and the better end of the heifer weaners made from $800 to $1060," Mr Cooper said.
"Light weaner heifers made from about $600 to $800 and cows with calves ranged from $1400 a unit to a top of $1890 a unit."
