Beef prices on the up

THE outlook for regional cattle farmers continued to improve on Friday, with Wangaratta Livestock Exchange again attracting high prices for a number of local vendors. Some 590 head of cattle were on display in what Corcoran and Parker stock and station agent Reiley Murtagh described as a "very solid sale," with calves in high–demand across the board. "Everybody was very positive – prices were probably up from the last sale we had the other month," he said. "It's getting colder but everybody has sewn some grass – for this sale in particular it looks like we've seen a touch of a market increase. "Any Angus heifers at a joinable rate were selling very well." Calves around the 400kg mark sold at around $2500 per head, while those on the lighter scale, around 250kg, fetched up to $7.50 per kilo. Mike Willoughby has been breeding cattle on his Hansonville farm for 38 years, and said he expected "unprecedented prices" to continue to rise over the coming months. He said his 12 steers and 15 heifers on show on Friday, many of which were around 10 months old, had responded well to ideal growing conditions, with the 27–head herd selling for an average of $2180 across the board. "The last two to three years we've had good spring growth, but the weather has been pretty mild outside of the last few weeks," he said. "I said to my wife this morning we'd be happy if we could average $2000 – it's very gratifying and a good result. "They're probably as good as we've had for a long time. "They've grown well – it's what happens when you put a good bull over your herd and have good females – you see it in their genetics. "We weaned them three weeks ago so they're very quiet – they've been looked after with some good hay. "At that sort of money we're very happy." A former butcher by trade, Mr Willoughby said he expected beef prices to stay firm over the coming months. "I think the customers have become accustomed to paying those prices for scotch and eye fillet cuts," he said. "Speaking to other buyers, the indicator is that the market is going to continue on a forward trajectory – it's firming up more so than receding which is good."

Beef prices on the up

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