Agents have been finding it a little difficult to give their clients an estimate of price for their cattle with the market leading a roller coaster ride.
This roller coaster takes a rise, then a fall, and another rise, but this only relates to some of the southern markets. Both Wagga Wagga, in the Riverina, and Wodonga, have been selling to northern buyers, as well as the normal run of Victorian export and local processors.
Markets including the northern competition have recorded higher prices this week, driven in part buy demand for feeder steers and heifers.te
This strength of competition helps make the Wagga market with only 36 of the 1598 yearling steers recorded being purchased by trade buyers. Restockers paid up to 360c for steer calves, and feeder steers sold mostly between 290&345c/kg lwt. Prices were dearer here, and at Wodonga, because of this.
Some other markets showed a dearer trend for feeder steers, although the range of prices was more 280-325c/kg lwt.
Because of the variation in temperatures from hot to cooler readings, especially overnight, the change in the condition of a good number of the cattle was noticed. This gave more opportunity for buyers of feeder steers and heifers, which aided some of the price increases.
The EYCI, at the close of trade Tuesday evening was 591.25c, a small improvement week-on-week.
Fewer of the best quality vealers were offered, and the top prices improved to 328c/kg, a margin of 1-3c/kg lwt higher.
While not mentioned in all of the NLRS market reports, the top prices of 323c & 315c/kg for yearling steers and heifers, respectively, most of these would be grain assisted.
Competition for heavier yearling steers, grown steers and bullocks was weaker across most sales. Coming off the back of dearer trends, as late as the previous Wednesday at Leongatha (304c), most sold from 275-292c/kg this week.
Some of this was due to quality changes with some steers and bullocks looking quite good, but their dressing percentages was potentially falling, due to the changing temperatures.
Manufacturing bullocks were in a larger percentage of several of the export sales. Good quality crossbred steers and bullocks sold from 250-275c, while most of the Friesian bullocks were from 210-238c/kg lwt.
Once again this week, price trends for cows was very mixed. Some sales the previous week were dearer, some were cheaper, and this trend was noted across sales this Monday and Tuesday.
Placing a ruler across all markets, better quality beef cows sold mainly between 215&238c/kg with only isolated sales of top quality to higher levels.
It is fair to say that some younger cows may be classified as grown heifers, which were quoted mostly selling to 256c/kg lwt.
Lean, but better quality cows sold to steady competition in a lot of cases with many selling from 190-220c/kg. However, there was less demand for the very poor, and lightweight cows with a price range of 105-170c/kg for most.
