MARKET SUPPLY is already at low levels, and coupled with the Queen’s Birthday public holiday on Monday, processors again had to pay higher prices to secure stock.
All markets were dearer, some on the back of smaller numbers, but some sales were steady to higher in supply. Wodonga agents offered a larger number, partly due to there being no Monday sale at Wagga Wagga. Shepparton market was similar in number, and again this sale was influenced by a large number of cows.
Generally, prices increased between two and 15 cents per kilogram liveweight with some even higher, although this was due mostly to very god quality.
Across most markets, demand from local processors was very strong, due a limited supply of vealers, being winter, and grain assisted cattle numbers were down too.
Vealers and grain assisted steers and heifers, best suiting the local trade sold from 300-355c/kg lwt with some quite heavy cattle returning producers big dollars. There were very few that sold below 300c, and restockers picked up most of these.
Restockers and feedlot competition has put a definite floor in fat cattle sales, as store cattle market prices have blown out over the past two weeks.
MLA’s market report from Wodonga cited a northern buyer bidding on all classes of steers. This saw heavy steers sell from 320-347c and prime bullocks 298-327c/kg.
However, Leongatha market is the trendsetter for heavy steers and bullocks with some excellent quality still presented for sale, despite the very poor summer and autumn. Prime, heavy, Angus bullocks sold to 339c/kg, and equally noted was bullocks weighing 805kg selling for 330c/kg, or more than $2600.
Restockers and buyers of feeder steers and heifers have had to increase their competition, which has seen many steers sell from 290-370c/kg, and heifers 270-315c/kg lwt. These prices are still under store cattle sales, but the quality may not be as good in the physical sales.
The supply of cows continues to dominate many markets, despite their supply falling off over the past seven days. This drop in supply created further price increases, and with the 90CL grinding beef price into the US market sitting at 594c/kg cwt at the end of May, there is still room for improvement.
Increased demand saw better quality beef cows sell mainly for 245-268c/kg lwt, although some more isolated sales were up to 287c/kg. This top price was achieved at Warragul, last Thursday, but other markets reached 270-278c/kg lwt.
Driving this market is the lack of manufacturing steers and bullocks. These better quality cows filling a void for some boning rooms.
Dairy cows remain very prevalent in the market. Strong competition saw very few, very lean cows sell under 165c with most lean 1 score cows making from 185-225c/kg. Better covered, 2 score dairy cows sold mostly from 210-245c/kg, the higher end being mostly for heavy Friesian cows.
There has been mixed responses for bulls, although most were dearer. heavy bulls sold from 265-315 /kg lwt, the better prices for European breeds of heavy weights.
