The season started back in early March and while most yards tidied their fairs up by the end of April, the large catchment area that Feilding services meant a lot of later born calves keep their fairs going for a few more weeks.
It also provided an opportunity for later born calves from areas outside of Feilding’s domain to sell to a specific buying bench and as a result, postcodes included Central Hawke’s Bay but also Hawarden in North Canterbury.
However, the overwhelming majority came from the high country of Taihape and auctioneers took bids from King Country, Waikato and Auckland.
This fair brought the season total to 10,700 traditional and exotic steers and heifers sold at Feilding, which is an impressive tally though slightly down on 2019 numbers.
Throughout the season steer price averages remained relatively stable across the six fairs, though heifer prices tapered off.
Traditional steers averaged 220-240kg and sold for $745-$805 at an average of $3.33-$3.54/kg. Heifer weights were variable and ranged from 185kg up to 230kg, but average prices were tight in comparison at $500-$635 and $2.61-$2.82/kg. Exotic heifers made similar per kilogram values as the traditional lines, but average weights were consistently 10-20kg heavier. Exotic steers mainly averaged 250-275kg and $820-$925 for $3.27-$3.48/kg.
The final call was left with PGG Wrightson auctioneer Maurice Stewart who reflected on a solid season “we are rapt with the season and equally rapt to now have it behind us”.
