A big cattle fair last Wednesday was well attended by both cattle and buyers, with 1000 selling on a strong grass market, mainly to Manawatu. Two and three-year steers consistently made $2.90-$3.00/kg, with prime lines selling above schedule. Higher yielding lines of Angus and Charolais sold to $3.11-$3.19/kg. Heifers followed suit and sold to $2.75-$2.90/kg, though again higher yielding Charolais made a premium at $2.96/kg. Yearling steers sold to another level with bids flying from the benches. The bigger number was easily absorbed, with most trading at $1000-$1200, and $3.20-$3.50/kg common. The heifer market did not have the depth of the steers, but still sold at high levels. Angus and Angus-cross, 240-287kg, made $725-$1170, with most trading at $2.90-$3.02/kg.
Expectations were high for the dairy-beef weaner sale held last Thursday, and they were fully-founded, with Friesian bull prices lifting $50 a head on the previous sale, and Hereford-Friesian holding their value. Lighter Friesian bulls were more expensive on a cents-per-kilogram basis, with little separating prices for the light and heavy types. Friesian, 70-110kg, sold for $500-$510, 113-130kg, $530-$565, and 131-160kg, $565-$640. Hereford-Friesian sold to recent levels, with most 110-120kg and making $620-$670, while Angus-Friesian, 90-115kg, made $500-$545. Steers sold well, and Hereford-Friesian, 96-105kg, made $540-$600, and Angus-Friesian, 88-115kg, $405-$545. A big yarding of heifers sold on a slightly firmer market, and Hereford-Friesian, 74-100kg made $325-$500, and 101-148kg, $510-$530.
