IT has proven a champagne week for the Hereford breed in the Western District this new year, with steers selling to 209 cents or a top of $790 at Hamilton today.
The strong liveweight price for heavy calves was paid three times by repeat buyer Paul Mason from Wellington in NSW, who will grow them out for the European Union bullock trade.
Vendor Lochredal claimed the week's top price at Hamilton when its lead pen of 25 Hereford steers, weaned under the RedStar program and weighing 378kg, sold for 209c.
Not far behind at $771 was Inverell's 20 calves which weighed 369kg and also sold for 209c.
There was also sales above the $700 mark for the lead draft of heavy Charolais-cross steers, with Carney Dell topping this section at $767 for 15 head that weighed 408kg and sold for 187c/kg.
Once off the feature lines that attracted repeat buyer competition and sold for premiums, most sales ranged from 185c to 195c/kg.
Late in the sale there was a bid of 234c/kg - the highest so far in the Western District - for a line of 75 black baldy calves that weighed just 180kg, equalling $424.
The buying power was similar to the opening markets, with local and NSW agents mixing it with feedlot buyers such as Charlton, T&R Pastoral and Swift.
