Led steer makes $7500

Processors put their money where their mouths were to demonstrate their support of WA's beef industry, with prices up across the board at this year's Led and Prime Steers and Heifers Auction.

Both Coles and Harvey Beef again supported the auction's charity steers, with a top price of $7500 paid for the Black Dog Ride charity steer, a 340kg Speckle Park that was donated by Summit Realty in Bunbury. It had spent 90 days on feed.

Coles paid $1900 for the Motor Neurone Disease Association of WA charity steer, donated by AR and SM Penfold, weighing 396kg and having spent 100 days on feed.

Harvey Beef again showed its full support for quality beef and paid $5000 for the top-price led steer and overall supreme champion steer, a 604kg Charolais-Angus cross exhibited by AS and M Campbell and Son.

The steer was earlier judged supreme champion on the hoof against the grand champion prime steer, a 592kg Simmental-Limousin cross exhibited by Lone Chorley and John Barber of Manjimup.

Harvey Beef also bought the grand champion prime and champion extra heavyweight prime steer for $2700. In total, Harvey Beef bought 18 steers and heifers for an average of $2044, including the reserve champion lightweight led heifer and reserve champion heavyweight led steer.

Harvey Beef cattle buyer Kim McDougall said the company was keen to acknowledge the efforts of those involved in presenting such high-quality cattle.

"WA produces some of the best beef in the land and Harvey Beef is very proud to be associated with it," he said.

Mr McDougall said he had bought the sort of cattle Harvey Beef normally targeted - yearling animals with a hot standard carcase weight of 200kg to 300kg.

"I look for carcase, weight, condition and style of animal," he said.

Mr McDougall said the heavier bodies would be more suitable for the export market but that until all carcases were graded, he could not say if they would end up in domestic or export markets.

Volume buyer Coles secured 21 steers and heifers for an average of $1928. This included the reserve grand champion led and champion heavyweight steer, a 472kg Square Meater exhibited by Kelmscott Senior High School. The steer, which had spent 120 days on feed, sold for $2900.

Coles also bought the champion medium weight led steer, a 420kg Angus exhibited by Murdoch University. It had spent 70 days on feed and sold for $1900.

Coles national livestock manager Dale Pemberton said he was looking for quality cattle and Coles was proud to support the Royal Show.

"We have been supporting the Led and Prime Steers and Heifers Auction at the Perth Royal Show for the past four years, as we do with other shows around Australia," he said. "We were after cattle with a HSCW of 250kg, with a good finish."

Mr Pemberton said supporting agricultural schools was another aim of Coles, as the future of agriculture depended on skilled youth.

The biggest volume buyer during the sale was Johnson Meats, which bought a total of 28 steers and heifers for a top of $2200 and an average of $1707. This included the reserve grand champion prime and champion medium weight prime heifer, a 450kg Murray Grey-Limousin cross that had spent 120 days on feed. It sold for $1700.

The business also bought the reserve champion extra heavyweight prime steer, a 558kg Charolais-Angus cross exhibited by AS and M Campbell and Son. It had spent 80 days on feed and sold for $2100.

Johnson Meats managing director Terry Russell said he was looking for quality cattle.

The business services the high end of the food service industry, including the Duxton Hotel, Hilton, Cable Beach Resort and the Hyatt.

"I was looking for cattle that had been on feed over 70 days, which guarantees consistency and good marbling," he said.

Mr Russell said when bidding on cattle, he was relying on the statistics provided as well as the judges' ranking of each animal.

Other supporters of the sale included Borrello Beef, which bought a total of 22 steers and heifers. The top price of $2600 was paid for the reserve champion extra heavyweight led steer, a Saler-Murray Grey cross exhibited by AR and SM Penfold. It weighed 552kg and had been on feed for 100 days.

Woolworths, V and V Walsh, Swansea Street Meats, Terranova Butchers, Michael Princi, Barboro Butchers, Williams Meats, Crimea Meats and J and A Marchesani were also present at the auction.

Auction results * Type Offered Sold Top Price Average Led steer or heifer 98 98 $7500 $1862 Prime steer or heifer 38 38 $2700 $1453 TOTAL 136 136 $7500 $1748