AUSTRALIA’S latest world-class livestock selling centre, at Yass in New South Wales, will sell its first sheep tomorrow.

The South Eastern Livestock Exchange (SELX) was opened and christened on August 18 with its first cattle sale 0f 2369 head.

SELX manager Rod Bourlet said 16,330 sheep and lambs are booked for the first sale tomorrow, comprising 880 new season lambs, 7450 old crossbred lambs, 3500 Merino lambs and 4500 sheep.

The centre could sell 25,000-30,000 sheep and lambs, up to 3500 cattle, under cover in its weekly sales, he said.

Mr Bourlet said 12 stock agencies will sell at SELX. The National Livestock Reporting Service reported on the first cattle sale and will cover tomorrow’s sheep and lamb sale, but will monitor throughput at future sales before making a decision on ongoing coverage.

After 313 days of construction, a packed public laneway witnessed the bell ring out and the ribbon cut to open the selling centre last week.

Yass Valley mayor, Rowena Abbey, officially opened the complex, saying it took courage and vision to achieve what the directors of SELX had done.

“They had a dream, stood by their belief and today we stand in the reality of that dream,”she said.

The inaugural cattle sale attracted a solid gallery of processor and other buyers.

National Livestock Reporting Service reporter David Monk, described young cattle as attracting very solid competition, with vealers to the processors selling to 380c/kg. The prime steer yearlings to slaughter sold from 348-395c/kg while the prime heifer yearlings sold from 326-389c/kg, with the medium weights averaging 375c/kg.

Young cattle to feed also sold well, with the feeder steers selling from 353-417c/kg while the heifer portion sold from 340-380c/kg.

“The re-stockers were very active on the well-bred lines of young cattle paying to 466c/kg for steers and 385c/kg for heifers,” Mr Monk said.

Grown steers to the processors sold from 292-350c/kg to average 341c/kg, while the export weight steers to the feeders sold to 385c/kg. Grown heifers sold to 336c/kg. The cow market was also solid, with plain conditioned cows to the re-stockers selling from 220-288c/kg. Score 2 cows to the processors sold from 220-246c/kg while the better 3 and 4 score cows sold from 235-299c/kg and 4 score heavy weight cows averaged 279c/kg.

The best prices on the day were left to the charity auction, with one of the six heifers donated by the six SELX directors selling for $12,500. A total of $29,500 was raised in the charity pen, with the money donated to the Country Education Foundation. The money will be used to support the educational aspirations of an agricultural student.

“It was a great day and a great way to kick off sales at SELX,” Mr Bourlet said.

“We experienced a few technical hiccups but nothing that can’t be sorted after a thorough review with staff, overall I’m really happy with how everything operated.

“It is all positive.”