Monday and Tuesday markets lead the way into the first full working week for the livestock industry, after Easter and Anzac Day public holidays.
As expected there has been a flurry of cattle penned as producers are more confident of processor competition.
Interestingly, the supply of cows showed the largest increase, especially including Camperdown, Shepparton, and Wagga Wagga markets.
Given the fact that Anzac Day took out Tuesday markets, Camperdown and Shepparton offered large quantities of cows. Especially noted in these markets was the larger supply of leaner dairy cows.
Price quotations from these sale were cheaper for the larger supply with most selling between 145 & 195c/kg for lighter weight cows.
Heavier, lean 1 score cows fared better selling from 185-225c/kg, although price quotes were still lower.
Processors realize they will have spend up if they want to see a supply of grown steers, bullocks and heifers come forward, which created firm to dearer trends.
At Pakenham, Monday, the much larger offering included some very good quality, and prices ranged from 310-336c/kg lwt. Some steers weighing from 500-600kgs sold to 345c/kg. One sale of grain assisted yearling steers was noted making 385c/kg, at Wagga Wagga, Monday.
Standing out in market trends for export grade cattle, are bulls, as these are currently returning a profit for processors, albeit only small. The best quality bulls sold to 318c/kg, and in numerous cases, returned dollar values of up to $3200 per head.
Good quality trade cattle and vealers remain harder to find, and this prompted strong demand from processors. Vealer prices were noted reaching 397c/kg for the best European breeds, and some of the lighter weight calves, 300-345kgs, sold for grain feeding as high as 394c/kg lwt.
Very strong demand for steers and heifers in store markets, last week, aided very strong competition in physical sales.
Much of this occurred at Wagga Wagga, Monday, and Wodonga, Tuesday, where large numbers of steers and heifers were sold to restockers and feedlots.
Prices varied according to age weight and quality, and at Wagga Wagga especially, the large number of 1123 steers, making mostly from 325-367c, and 913 heifers, 310-384c/kg. Young calves sold to over 400c/kg at the two northern markets.
Interestingly, many of the plainer conditions steers and heifers were quoted being quite a bit cheaper, however, there was many more in the supply chain as producers seek to capture the high prices, before winter sets in.
So, what can we expect to see later this week, and next week. This conversation was a solid topic around the yards, Monday and Tuesday, with one common theme occurring.
Everyone expects supply to return to levels seen in the last full week of trading, prior to Easter, and this will spark continued very strong demand.
Many continue to ask “for how long?” The EYCI figure, Monday, of around 654c/kg, is 113c higher year-on-year.
