SWAN Hill cattle market is a fortnightly sale and while this is not one the MLA attend, agents are offering some very good cattle, aided by grain fed steers and heifers. The grain fed portion sold to a top of 373c, to average 361c/kg.
This was a very fitting result, which aligned itself to all other markets of equal quality.
Comparing markets over the past eight days has seen another lift in prices, some due to quality, but most because of the lack of supply.
Wagga Wagga on Monday only offered 2010 head, which included only 200 cows, a big reduction week-on-week. Cow prices have now returned to the dizzy heights seen only a few weeks ago, when all processors were working.
Looking at the ultimate in the fattening of cattle, prime bullocks, the supply of these is extremely limited. Direct to processor sales are between 600-630 cents per kilogram carcass weight, but this is being eclipsed at physical sales.
Leongatha market, last Wednesday, is the shining light here, where agents offered 500 grown steers, plus manufacturing bullocks. Producers are still offering some very good quality bullocks, and high weights are being achieved.
At this market, bullocks weighing over 750kgs liveweight equalled $2857, and numerous sales of 600-750kg bullocks sold between 350&374c/kg. Many equalled $2300-$2770. The best quality steers 500-600kgs sold to 380c/kg lwt. Many of these steers and bullocks are equalling 645-665c/kg cwt.
Many of the cattle purchased by local processors, butchers and a supermarket, and selling to similar rates as the export steers and bullocks.
This can be highlighted by the average live weight at Pakenham, Monday, which was 331.5c/kg, including Friesian bullocks, secondary cattle, and some cows.
Grain assisted steers and heifers have sold at all markets from 345-380c/kg this week, and these top prices have only been bettered by vealers sold at the Baw Baw Livestock Exchange, Warragul, which recorded sales up to 386c/kg last Wednesday.
Any prices above this are paid by restockers for lighter steer calves. The best price recorded this week was 390c/kg at Wodonga, Tuesday.
MLA’s Eastern Feeder Steer report shows a big lift in price for medium and long term steers for export. PRices jumped 10-12c/kg, peaking at 400c/kg with most quotes from 360-375c/kg lwt.
As some export processors come back on line, competition improved for the smaller offering of cows. This created price increases between 3&10c/kg for most sales.
Good quality beef cows have sold best, closest to the processing source with cows selling to 295c/kg at Pakenham, Monday and Tuesday.
Stock & Land’s market indicators will show another lift in the average carcass weight price of cows this week. MLA marker reports indicate a lot of cows selling between 520&560c/kg from Monday on.
Very lean cows sold mostly from 165-235c with only very poor cows selling from 120c/kg at Camperdown, and these too were dearer.