General News
7 October, 2022
Innisfail and Malanda sales return
HAPPY to see the return of cattle sales to their local area after a 30-month hiatus, crowds flocked to the Innisfail and Malanda special store sales last weekend.
Queensland Rural spokesperson Luke Hickmott said purchasers were delighted with the quality of cattle on offer.
“The enthusiastic response to the sales under-pinned by strong buyer support means the sales will become a monthly event,” he said.
“We believe the cattle numbers are out there and that supply is matched with significant market interest in the available cattle, so we have set dates for Friday, 22 October in Innisfail and Saturday 22 October in Malanda.”
It was literally standing room only at Innisfail, where only the early birds got the seats. A total of 249 cattle were offered, including 197 steers, 47 heifers and five cows.
Cattle on offer consisted of small but high quality lines of Brahman, Brangus, Charbay and Droughtmaster cattle that sold to a competitive panel of southern and local buyers.
The yarding was drawn from many local and coastal areas such as Millaa Millaa, Mena Creek, Tully, Feluga, Silkwood, Moresby, Innisfail, Nerada, Woopen Creek, Bingil Bay and East Palmerston.
All cattle were offered on a dollar per head basis and the 197 steers, weighing approximately 140-670kg sold from $700 to a top of $2,250 per head to average $1,429.
The 47 heifers, weighed from approximately 180-420kg, selling in a price range from $875 to $1500 to achieve a healthy average of $1201 per head.
The five cows on offer weighed from 220-430kg and ranged from $800-$1,375 to average $1,060 per head.
In some of the sale highlights, a pen of 25 Charbray steers on account of “Justeatum Pty Ltd”, averaged $1608 per head; a run of 15 quality Droughtmaster heifers sold on account of Camelot Estate Trust attained a $1,341 average; and Calvin and Tamara Gallagher's cows sold to a top of $1,375.
“We were over the moon with both sales. The prices were strong and the sales really couldn't have gone any more smoothly. There were good steers available to take on and fatten and lines of quality Droughtmaster heifers that were good enough to go back to the bull for re-stockers,” Mr Hickmott said.
“Purchasers were drawn from far and wide, with cattle finding new homes on the Darling and western downs in southern Queensland and down to Roma, as well as locally on the coast and Tablelands.”
A total of 285 head, including 178 steers and 107 heifers were yarded at the Malanda showgrounds facility. The cattle were comprised of high quality lines of Crossbred and soft Brahman cattle.
Sale cattle came from coastal and Tableland areas, such as Millaa Millaa, Yungaburra, Tarzali, Mareeba, Malanda, Petford and Atherton.
The 178 steers weighed from around 180-420kg, selling from $360 to $1,720 to average $1352 per head, while the 107 heifers, also from roughly 180-420kg, attained a price range of $447-$1275 to average $1,016 per head.
Sale highlights included a pen of 42 Charbray 220 - 250kg steers sold on account of Ahlkoz Holdings' for $1,400 to average approximately 596 cents per kilo and a line of 19 heifers belonging to AE and RE Stoddart that weighed around 250-270kg and made $1257 per head.
A pen of three Brangus steers weighing approximately 420kg sold on behalf of HGC Holdings for $1720 per head, making them the most expensive cattle through the Malanda ring, while a pen of 10 Angus/Dairy cross 157kg steers made $920/hd or around $5.86/kg for Millaa Millaa vendors Colin and Shelley Daley.
Mr Hickmott said the Queensland Rural team was very happy with the support from vendors, buyers and spectators throughout the process and looked forward to working with them again at next month's sale.
