Christmas is but eleven days away, but cattle markets cease operating from December 13 on, depending on which day they are held.
Past experiences show that any markets close to Christmas are small and potentially not well attended. Most export processors organize their last work day for boning, and some are not working between the two holidays.
As Christmas Day, and New Years Day fall on a Monday, this season, which puts many of the major sales out of action for three weeks.
Consequently, many of the current fat cattle markets are being loaded up to compensate the long break.
For some cattle, this had a slowing of demand from processors, and in some instances, feedlots and restockers too.
Most affected in this scenario were vealers, and some of the trade steers and heifers. At Wodonga’s Barnawartha sale, Tuesday, and much larger penning of vealers came forward. MLA’s market report included just over 700 vealers, and weaker processor competition saw prices fall some 6-16 cents per kilogram liveweight.
The top prices here was 318.2c with many quality calves making between 264&300c/kg lwt. This top price was only beaten in single sales, at a few markets.
Restocker and feedlot competition continues to prop up some sales for vealers, and yearling steers and heifers, especially at Wagga Wagga, and some of Wodonga.
At Wagga Wagga, Monday, supply returned with a vengeance, and most of the 1500 yearling steers were purchased for further feeding, albeit at much cheaper prices. Most sold between 265&295c, being 10-26c/kg cheaper.
Surviving most of the onslaught were prime grown steers and bullocks. Reports from most markets indicated that prices were unchanged, and in odd cases even a little dearer.
Pakenham, Monday, was the pick of the bunch with prime bullocks selling to 284c, and averages were 2c higher at 276c/kg. Most sales elsewhere were from 264-278c with an overall average around 268c/kg lwt.
Noted at the Pakenham market, was a number of very heavy, some of which were manufacturing types. A pen of Friesian bullocks, 835kgs, sold for 240c, which was a good price for their weight.
Coow markets have seen a lot of good quality beef cows penned, especially in the south east of SA, and the Western districts with producers culling cows after weaning calves.
Camperdown offers a large percentage of lean cows, most sold from 164-210c, which was down 5-16c/kg.
Naracoorte agents yarded 425, D muscled, 3 score cows, which sold from 220-238c, down by 4c/kg lwt.
