Supply suffered heavily this, and last week, due to the Melbourne Cup public holiday, Tuesday. The Bairnsdale market, last Thursday, was the first to lead a charge of weaker supply, offering only 236 head, and Pakenham, Monday, saw only 274 cattle offered.
Even though this public holiday is Melbourne based, other saleyards across Victoria were affected. There was no market at Pakenham, Tuesday, and likewise at Camperdown.
Both Shepparton and Wodonga reports quoted a significant drop in supply due Melbourne’s public holiday.
This did leave a shortfall in supply, however, with many of the processors situated in and around Melbourne, a days less kill negated any supply change.
Therefore individual markets were based on their own merits, and with small, and mixed quality offerings at Bairnsdale and Pakenham, competition varied. For Shepparton and Wodonga, some very good quality vealers and supplementary fed yearlings, prices were a little dearer.
Restocker and feedlot competition lifted in northern sales. On the back of dearer prices the previous week, Wagga Wagga agents offered a larger yarding, Monday. Reaching 5000 head at Wagga Wagga, yearling steers and heifers made up over 60 per cent of the total. After rain throughout the Riverina, demand was stronger and prices paid by restockers lifted on average, 3-12 cents per kilogram liveweight. Some of this can be based on rising prices in store cattle sales last week.
How was this reflected in prices?
The best quality vealers peaked at 334c with restockers paying up to 355c/kg for their selection. Most vealers across all markets were mostly from 290-325c/kg lwt.
The best yearling steers sold to 325c at Wodonga, and 309c/kg at Shepparton. However, with processors being very choosy, most steers ranged between 280&295c/kg.
What i noticed at Pakenham, was the price range for yearling heifers. Even though this market was small, a good selection of heifers sold from 255-280c/kg lwt.
Bullock supply is growing slowly, and prices were mostly firm to 5c/kg dearer. Prime 3&4 score bullocks sold from 275-292c, the only exception was Pakenham, where the top price was 287c, down 10c/kg lwt.
Cow supply is increasing slowly, and despite the lower number this week, due to the public holiday, price trends were again very mixed.
A good number of cows are showing good fat cover, and sold between 225&250c/kg.
Leaner dairy cows were lacking in numbers, and most sold from 185-225c/kg lwt, again some were cheaper, some dearer.