STORE cattle and weaner prices gained a new lease on life at Casterton’s first annual summer livestock sale for 2022/23, with prices firming up to 20 per cent on other markets, this quarter.

Weaned cattle were in heaviest demand, however all lots drew plenty of attention from buyers, boding well for the upcoming weaner sale week, kicking off Tuesday, 10 January.

Gary Thomson, Smithfield, sold a line of 12, 243- kilogram Angus-cross weaner steers to a sale top of 570 cents per kilo, while a line of 12 Anguscross steers by KJ Upton, Glencairn, averaging 256kg, were also in the money at 566c/kg.

Nutrien Ag Solutions Casterton’s Rick Smith said the sale saw a much-needed “correction” on values.

“It was certainly a very solid sale in comparison what’s been going on in other places,” he said.

“There’s been a few ebbs and flows in the job, some sales have been 40 to 50 cents cheaper than what we saw here, but I think now the whole cattle job’s had a correction and we’re about where the money should be.

“We got 520 (c/kg) for those heavier drafts and it was pretty evident in that 310 to 350 kilo range, anything north of that (500c/kg) price was achievable.”