JACK BLAYNEY, 92 years young, and up until two weeks ago was buying top quality vealers at Pakenham every Monday, for a butcher in Heidleberg.
However, Jack said goodbye to a few close cohorts, saying “The trade is suffering” not quite like this, but close. Jack started in Newmarket many years ago, and at the peak of this business, Jack had up to eight butcher shops.
Now that Jack is in his twilight years, and his one butcher shop that he buys for has succumbed to the current trends, Jack said he would hang up the boots.
Jack said his butcher was having trouble selling fore quarter meat, with customers requesting mostly steak. Is this becoming the trend for butchers?
I would suggest that this is not the case for every butcher, but more to do with temperatures. Much of the fore quarter meat is good for casseroles and other colder weather cooking.
With exporter processors and some boning rooms, that are having difficulty selling boxed meat into their usual clients, now sourcing customers in the local sector.
Given the current price trends, it would be hard to justify making this comment at the moment. Prime vealers have sold to dearer trends, despite an influx of supply. Prices have been higher taking the better prices to 378c/kg with Warragul agents selling their best vealers to 387c/kg eight days ago.
All MLA reported cattle markets recorded smaller yardings with the exception of Wodonga, which was unchanged, and Camperdown, offering a big increase in supply.
As one Gippsland agent said this week, “There is feed and water, and cattle are still putting on weight, so why would you rush in to sell”.
This statement appears to ring true, highlighted by the smaller offerings this week. Supply changes have lifted prices, across the board with some changes being small, but others up to 18c/kg dearer week-on-week.
Looking at the SEJ Leongatha annual sale last Friday, both Teys Bros and O’Connors were buying heavy yearling steers for 100 day feeding. This says to me, that supply will only get shorter in the winter months.
Aided by restocker and feedlot activity, many of the yearling steers and heifers sold from 310-375c/kg with few purchased by the trade, due in part to quality changes.
Prime heavy steers and bullocks also sold to dearer trends. Some of the best bullocks sold to 334c/kg for just over 600kgs lwt. Heavier bullocks sold to 324c and prime heavy steers reached 344c/kg at Wodonga, Tuesday.
President Trump, hasn’t trumped the cow market yet, as weaker supply created price increases. The best quality heavy beef cows sold to 276c/kg at Pakenham, Tuesday. Most beef cows sold between 245&268c/kg, which will help lift the weekly price averages by 4-8c/kg lwt. Because of Australia Day, last Thursday, supply was fractured, which led to higher demand for cows. Most of the leaner dairy cows sold from 185-238c/kg with poor quality, lighter weight cows from 145c/kg upward.
Supply will increase next week.
