COMPETITIVE bidding underpinned the Alice Springs cattle sale last Thursday, after interstate interest pushed lines of quality locally bred cattle to solid returns with many coming back to Queensland.
About 2500 head of cattle were yarded at the Bohning Saleyards, with Red Centre Rural, GDL and Elders Alice Springs all offering cattle, ranging from heavy feeder steers through to lighter backgrounding steers and heifers.
Livestock agent Steve Gaff of Red Centre Rural said the three volume buyers of the sale were Morgan Pastoral, Currawong, Dalby, Paraway Pastoral Co and Princess Royal Feedlot, South Australia. Other major Queensland players were Condabri Beef along with GDL Dalby agents buying for their Western Downs clients.
Locals buyers included Sandover Pastoral and Precision Pastoral who supported all the way through the sale.
Mr Gaff said local cattle "stood up well".
"Weight for age was as expected if not a fraction better," he said.
"Paraway Pastoral Company bought a large line of younger cattle, which they will take and put into various channels and turn into bullocks.
"They have done this for a few years and are very happy with the quality of cattle."
A run of 84 Santa Gertrudis cross steers averaging 379 kilograms from Delmore Downs Station, via Alice Springs, topped the sale at 331c/kg, while the vendor's total of 112 feeder steers averaged 328c/kg.
Huckitta Station, via Alice Springs, offered 261 Santa Gertrudis and Charolais-cross feeder steers, with a run of 51, 448kg Charolais-crosses making 328c/kg. Huckitta Station's total offering averaged 423kg and 319c/kg.
Kurundi Station, Tennant Creek, NT, made 306c/kg for 136 Droughtmaster cross feeder steers averaging 376kg, while its top price pen of 80, 399kg steers made 308c/kg.
The sale continued to maintain solid returns, with a run of 420 Droughtmaster-cross steers from Pine Hill Station, via Alice Springs, ranging from 397kg to 473kg, and going on to make 296c/kg to 320c/kg.
Aileron Pastoral Holding Company, via Alice Springs, offered 394 steers in total, with a run of 106, 384kg Angus-crosses making 310c/kg.
The same vendor made 308c/kg for 78, 310kg Santa Gertrudis-crosses and another run of 32 Droughtmaster crosses, averaging 243kg, made 294c/kg.
Curtin Springs Station, Petermann, NT, made $3.02/kg for 32, 221kg Murray Grey-cross steers, while a further 34, averaging 260kg, made 296c/kg.
Suplejack Cattle Co, 600 kilometres north west of Alice Springs, made 282c/kg for 52, 293kg Brahman-cross steers while a further 27, averaging 298kg, made the same return.
Elders Alice Springs stock agent Mick Newman said the quality of cattle was on-par with previous sales.
"It was every bit as good as in the past, there were many pens of well prepared cattle," he said.
"The top pen in particular was a good line of Santa Gertrudis-cross steers.
"They were milk tooth, good weight for age and had a lot going for them, the buyer will definitely be happy with their purchase."
It was the first sale held under the banner of the newly formed Central Australian Livestock Agents Association at the Bohning Saleyards in the Northern Territory.
Helen Walker
Helen is the Toowoomba-based journalist who loves nothing better than covering anything horse sport related, however she covers all commodities and personality yarns. Over the years she has lived in Brisbane, Rockhampton, Longreach and Roma filing stories for the 'bible of the bush'. Contact 0459 827414.
Helen is the Toowoomba-based journalist who loves nothing better than covering anything horse sport related, however she covers all commodities and personality yarns. Over the years she has lived in Brisbane, Rockhampton, Longreach and Roma filing stories for the 'bible of the bush'. Contact 0459 827414.
