Northern buyers were out in force at the annual Victorian weaner sales last week, picking up hundreds of steers and heifers for backgrounding and breeding.
One of the largest northern buyers was GDL agent Jeff Garland, Toowoomba, who was operating for three clients across Queensland and NSW.
Mr Garland attended three sales at Wodonga and one at Wangaratta over three days, finishing with 500 steers and 52 heifers for an average of $2320/head and $2350/head respectively.
That's compared to the 2021 sales where he finished with 470 steers for an average of $1700/head.
"We picked up 320 Angus steers, 180 Hereford and crossbred steers and a run of 52 very good Angus heifers," Mr Garland said.
"Potentially they were all backgrounders, except for the heifers which will grow out a bit and be joined up to Angus or Wagyu bulls."
Mr Garland said the cattle were destined for Dirranbandi, St George, Goondiwindi and North Star.
"Two clients background for themselves for their own feedlot operations and one just backgrounds and sells them six or seven months down the track into the feedlot market."
He said the sales were also very good for vendors.
"I think it was above their expectations. It still looks pretty handy to turn a profit."
Mr Garland said there were plenty of repeat buyers from northern NSW and Queensland, as well as some new parties.
Gilliland Livestock Marketing agent Sam Matchett, Pittsworth, was at the Wodonga and Wangaratta sales buying Angus heifers for four clients at Goondiwindi, Cecil Plains, St George and Pittsworth.
"We bought just over 500 Angus heifers for different clients in southern Queensland all to be joined - rebuilding breeders," Mr Matchett said.
"We just went with the thought that if you wanted to buy that many Angus heifers, you've got to go south to get them, and why not go to Victoria where they put a lot of breeding into those cattle.
"From what I could see, there was a lot of cattle going back to northern NSW especially."
Mr Matchett said the cattle he picked up averaged about $2300/head.
"It was pretty price relevant to Dalby. The weight for what they were - cents a kilo - is relevant just without the freight I thought."
"[They were] generally a lot better quality than what you yard in Dalby. You wouldn't pick up those big lines here of that quality."
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Brandon Long
Brandon Long is a Queensland Country Life journalist based in Toowoomba.
Brandon Long is a Queensland Country Life journalist based in Toowoomba.
