COWS AND CALVES TOP $1425, ANGUS STEERS TO $1210 AT GLOUCESTER

8th March 2020

A mixed bag presented at Gooch Agencies’ bi-monthly Gloucester store sale on Thursday, with yardings down on the promise of more rain, and one eye on the annual EU-weaner sale later this month.

With the sale straddling a well-documented dry run, and recent wet weather, cattle conditions were mixed across a 300-head yarding of mostly older steers and heifers, with a couple of bulls and grown steers, and a run of cows and calves

Pens of angus steers topped $1210 and cows with calves hit $1425.

Low numbers were attributed to boggy ground throughout the region, which had prevented trucks from getting on a lot of farms. Other producers reportedly held onto their cattle make the most of greener pastures. Gooch Agencies Gloucester principal James Gooch said generous rain had bumped the market up a little bit following a tough dry spell.

“We’ve not got many here today because a lot of trucks couldn’t get on farm,” he said. “But you can put up with that if it means we’ve had some rain.”

Heifers ranged from $560 to an $870 top, and steers $470 to $1210. A standalone Angus bull fetched $1500 and a pen of grown Angus steers $1475.

Cows with calves ranged from $1225 to $1425 and a standalone Angus cow went for $1200. Scott Lawrence of Lawrence Livestock Transport bought a run of kill cattle and restockers for a Gresford client. “It’s a bit firmer because it’s been dry, this area in particular has been doing it tougher,” Mr Lawrence said.

“But I think you’ll see some movement soon if the rain comes.”