I am not sure how to address this week’s Prime Cattle. Maybe a day to day analysis would better than a weekly summary. Measuring markets to themselves, and going back to Leongatha last Wednesday, and one could give a rosy commentary.
Included in the prime bullocks was over 120 head that sold to 319c, and averaged 299.4c/kg lwt. Many other markets in the days following Leongatha, and it was hard to sell good quality for 300c/kg. To note, at Barnawartha, Tuesday, 306c was the top with few over 295c, and across all sales, most prime bullocks sold from 285-295c/kg.
All sales in the later of the seven day period were quoted 3-10c/kg cheaper. I did mention last week, the way manufacturing bullocks come to the fore at this time of year, and for any consistency in prices, manufacturing bullocks were firm in price for many with only poor quality decreasing some averages.
Leongatha and Pakenham had the best Friesian bullocks selling from 265-279c/kg, and when you compare quality and dressing percentages, prices were very good for these.
Generally, the supply of cattle was larger especially in the north east, and southern to central NSW. Dubbo, last Thursday, was a good reference point, offering 4990 head, 1000 more.
Driven by uncertainty of crops finishing properly, and the future of this spring, producers are starting to offload stock, particularly yearling steers and heifers.
In some places,whether it be the need to refill feedlots, prices were better for many feeder cattle. However, a big increase in supply, such as Dubbo, does bring out more suitable cattle.
South of the boarder, and competition varies. This is in part, due to buyers choosing the bigger markets over small offerings.
However, it was quite noticeable the decline in vealer prices with the few top quality barely making over 350c/kg. In Shepparton and Barnawartha, some grain assisted cattle made more, selling to 355c/kg lwt.
Also in these smaller markets, restocker and feeder cattle prices were quite a bit cheaper with small numbers influencing whether to start buying or not. Prices at these smaller, southern sales, are influencing store cattle sales, especially in Gippsland.
Looking for some stability could lead you to cow sales, although there have been some larger variations in the lower grade cows. Top cow prices of up to 276c/kg have still been recorded, but most were from 240-260c/kg.
Having said this, a good number of better quality beef cows sold from 240-260c/kg lwt. These prices were mostly unchanged, and some markets were quoted as dearer.
Plain, lean cows sold anywhere from 76-210c/kg.