Commercial focus pays off for Sterita Park with $1200 lift in average
Commercial breeders from the South East to western Victoria, as well as northern SA, bid with confidence at Sterita Park Angus stud's 19th annual bull sale at Lucindale, knowing they were buying lots ready to work.
The largely February and March 2024-drop bulls were on average 60 kilograms lighter than last year's offering due to dry conditions and the stud's policy of not feeding grain, but buyers could see the potential of some of the breed's leading genetics which had been used.
It had no impact on the sale result, with the average up nearly $1200 on 2025.
The DiGiorgio family achieved a total clearance of 85 bulls to a $22,000 top twice and averaged $11,329.
Lot 1 - Sterita Park V57 - the first bull the stud had offered by US sire Sterling Pacific 904, got the sale off to a strong start.
The heaviest bull in the offering at 860kg, was knocked down at $22,000 to Nutrien Naracoorte livestock manager Nick Heffernan for an undisclosed client.
V57 ranked in the top 3 to 5 per cent for all growth traits and top 4pc for docility at +39.
At lot 30, this high was repeated with GB&RE Hage, Messamurray, Naracoorte, securing Sterita Park V120, one of the first sons offered by US sire Woodhill Comstock.
The two-year-old will be ideal to be used over heifers with a birth weight of just +0.2 and calving ease direct of -10.2, all ranking in the top 2pc of the January 2026 Trans Tasman Evaluation. It was also in the top 2pc of the breed for eye muscle area at +15.1.
They also bought lot 33 for $12,000.
The Hages have been buying bulls at Sterita Park for well over a decade and have been getting some good results, especially selling weaners in the Naracoorte sales.
"We are getting good doing ability from the calves and getting the right balance of other traits for our commercial Angus herd," he said.
"We are getting good longevity out of the bulls, we still have a couple of N drop (eight-year-old) bulls."
Repeat buyer Benara Pastoral was again the sale's volume buyer putting together 20 bulls for a $14,000 average for their Edenhope and Dunkeld, Vic, and Mount Gambier properties.
Some years they have dominated bidding on the early lots but this year secured many of their picks deeper into the catalogue.
This included lot 83, the first of the spring drop bulls, at $20,000.
Kangaringa Station, Keith, was another strong buyer among the nearly 40 registered bidders, securing seven bulls for a $11,143 average. They paid to $17,000 for lot 25.
Saltbush Ag bought four bulls for a $9500 average for their South East properties and northern stations.
Stud principal Nanni DiGiorgio was thrilled with such a successful sale, but said it was pleasing to still be able to cater for buyers of all budgets.
"I was going to be happy with the same as last year from what people have been spending on feed for the past two years," he said.
"Even though the cattle job is pretty good, people are trying to save money wherever they can, we are the same as everyone else.
"As strong as the sale was, you could still buy bulls at $6000, $7000 and $8000 which is what we want to be able to do."
Mr DiGiorgio said the past two seasons had tested the cattle, but their constitution and doing ability had shone through in dry times.
"We make sure our genetics fit into our program not the other way around, they have to be able to thrive in our commercial management and over the years the ones that don't perform find their way out the door," he said.
Nutrien SA stud stock manager Gordon Wood said it was another very good offering of bulls backed with some great figures for calving ease eye muscle and a "heap of fertility".
"They are always fit, athletic bulls and they are grass fed not grain fed, so what you see in the pen is what you are going to get when you get home," he said.
Mr Wood - who was on the rostrum with fellow auctioneer Richard Miller - described it as the "perfect result" for both buyers and the DiGiorgio family.
"There were still bulls here at $6000 and $7000 but with bulls at $20,000 too there is still a bit of meat in it for the DiGiorgio family to keep the stud growing," he said.
