A 54c/kg leap in the steer price, and a 26c/kg lift for heifers marked the third week running cents per kilo records were broken at the Central Queensland Livestock Exchange (CQLX) prime and store sale, creating a memorable final auction for the 2021 selling season on Wednesday.
The steer price reached 906.2c/kg for a 148kg Brangus line, offered by Reaco Pty Ltd, Woodstock Station, Marlborough, to equal $1346/head, which beat last week's Droughtmaster sale toppers that made 852c/kg for vendor Morrison and Sons, Sarina Range.
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The remarkable heifer price, of 828.2c/kg, was for a MJ and PM Wheeler, Koumala, Brangus weaner pen, which averaged 191kg and returned $1581/head, a result that surpassed the previous record holder, a Brahman and Brangus offering, drawn from Ellise Burston, Nebo.
Paul Wells, Elders, Central Queensland, said the results were being driven by great local seasonal conditions and a tightened national herd supply, which was powering restocker demand.
"It's an unbelievable market. For two years we have been saying the prices won't go any higher, but they continue to do so," Mr Wells said.
"We have had highlights like this right throughout the year, and week-on-week, it keeps getting better."
Mr Wells said the bidding competition had action from both local and southern bidders for the top-selling heifer sale.
"We had a new southern buyer who was active across all the light heifers, but it was a local restocker who bought the top run and will most likely keep them on as future breeders," he said.
The complete yarding, drawn from a wide region of Central Queensland, between Bowen and Gin Gin and west past Clermont, totalled 3247 head.
MJ and PM Wheeler, also had a strong result for their Brangus steer offering, making 844c/kg, and weighing 202kg to return $1708/head.
Ilbilbie vendor, C Howland, made a return of $1501/head for an Angus cross pen which sold for 842kg and averaged 178kg.
In the feeder category, Yeppoon Grazing, reached 550c/kg for its Brangus line, weighing 492kg to equal $2711/head.
P and L Dahl, Clermont, sold a run of 173 Grey Brahman No.0 steers which topped at 612c/kg and averaged 349kg to return $2091/head.
In the heifer category, a Consolidated Pastoral Company, Biloela, offering of five pens of Brangus heifers, averaged 650c/kg. The lead pen peaked at 662c/kg weighing 359kg and returning $2377/head.
EM and RF Bella, Nebo, sold Brangus weaner heifers for 758c/kg weighing 210kg to return $1599/head.
Kendah Enterprises, Wowan, European Union accredited Droughtmaster cross heifer run made a return of $2678/head when weighing 544kg and averaging 492.2c/kg.
The cows and calves market also boasted good results, with a Bayfield Cattle Company, Biloela, Charbray/Brangus line making $4050/unit.
Looking ahead, Mr Wells anticipated a strong first sale back to begin the 2022 selling season on January 12.
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