A rather sensitive dispute among processors over claims of inaccuracy over voluntarily supplied kill data has for the second week robbed all livestock producers of valuable and important weekly slaughter statistics.
While the largest beef states of Queensland and NSW have become the most affected by the actions of one resisting processor, the rest of the country has been left to second-guess as to whether markets are over- or under-supplied with slaughter stock. So with the advent of some rain across northern NSW and southern Qld this past week processors have taken one on the chin as supplies at the major saleyards crumbled to its lowest October point in a decade and causing prices across the eastern states to surge on the back on last weeks hint of a stronger demand.
This was particularly noticeable at NVLX Barnawartha where prices jumped 15-20c/kg liveweight as all major processors and a large supermarket kicked trade steer money to between 285-295c/kg, vealers to 315-cents and grass heifer values to 270-280c/kg.
The word circulating among agents is that a gap has formed in the previous heavy supply of grainfed stocks, existing feed yards and the slow release of pasture-fed lines held back by wet conditions in the south.
The Wodonga market offered 1500 at Tuesday sale – a slight decrease on last week although quality was greatly improved. Nearby at Wagga Wagga 4600 were offered Monday following its NSW public holiday last week, and some overnight cherished rain to close the weekend.
NLRS reported domestic processor and grain feeder competition was keener, southern restocker interest was lifted and exporters raised bids for heavy cows to average 220c.
Back in the southern states consignments to Victorian and SA markets remained at a mere dribble compared to past early-October pennings. This was especially the case along the southern coast where markets stretching from Mt Gambier to Bairnsdale saw only Naracoorte muster a four-figure penning and Wodonga and Shepparton, combined, offer half the reported Victorian numbers.
At Pakenham Monday supply was slightly elevated to 490 with merely 200 trade among its offering.
With quality improved vealer prices shot up 15-25c/kg, trade steers 10-20c; heifers 5-15c and bullocks and grown steers by 13-15c/kg making to 270-290c/kg. Cows, also, were not overlooked in the price spike, at Camperdown lifting 5-10c/kg on beef cows and 20-cents on plain dairy cows.
At Shepparton where 500 cows were among its penning bids for dairy cows lifted 6-10c/kg while beef cows firmed to average 223c/kg.