Cattle competition continues

It is a rare occurrence when supply is high and prices are solid to stronger.

Competition continues to increase for cattle suited to export processing and local trade cattle are firm to dearer partly due to strong feedlot and restocker demand.

Markets in Victoria and the South East of South Australia are only now starting to climb in number.

While this is normal for this time of year, the record yardings in the north and North East of Victoria and southern NSW would normally spell gloom and doom for prices.

Demand for Australian red meat overseas continues to intensify, which is creating some of the best competition between processors seen for a long time.

This scenario is only likely to improve as more abattoirs are opened or re-opened.

Generally the larger yardings have included a lot of good-quality cattle suiting export, local and feedlot buyers.

The two largest markets are Dubbo and Wagga Wagga both in NSW, but Victorian and now northern processors are attending to secure supply.

Local trade cattle are faring well, with vealers and supplementary-fed stock selling at up to 220 cents a kilogram liveweight.

Isolated sales of the few top-quality vealers have reached 234c/kg in the past seven days.

A lot of the vealers are not quite finished and are falling under the hammer to feedlots and restockers, making 175-220c/kg.

A large percentage of all markets are grown steers, bullocks and cows, with bull numbers increasing due to very good prices.

As feedlots and restockers compete strongly for younger cattle, it leaves few trade steers and heifers being purchased for the regular shop and supermarket trade.

Yearling steers to the trade are selling mostly at 185-205c/kg, with grain- and supplementary-fed steers to 220c/kg lwt.

Prices for yearling heifers cover much more ground, selling anywhere in the 145-195c/kg lwt range.

Some of the lower prices are due a larger number of pregnant young heifers.

Heavy trade and export-grade steers, 0-2 teeth, continue to sell to a larger field of buyers.

Better-finished steers are selling mostly at 195-215c/kg while grown steers and bullocks are generally steady.

Prices have been quoted as being a little dearer at some markets, seeing prime bullocks making up to 213c/kg lwt.

However, it is the crossbred and dairy steers and bullocks that are selling very well with Friesians mostly commanding 160-182c/kg.

Better-quality crossbred steers and bullocks are making 175-198c/kg.

Equally, some of the older and heavier heifers are making good money, influenced in part by the strong cow prices.

Grown heifers have made 165-195c/kg.

Despite a few cow sales being quoted at slightly cheaper rates, the overall results for a very large offering of cows are very good.

Single and isolated sales of very good quality beef cows were still up to and around 185c/kg.

Many of the D-muscle two- and three-score cows are quoted as making 140-168c/kg while the very poor E-muscle and very lean one-score cows are selling at 115-142c/kg lwt.

All of this is promoting a very high carcase weight price average, which was again at about 320c/kg.