It would appear obvious that last week’s much weaker supply left processors a little empty handed. Nearly all markets over the past few days have been larger, however both demand and competition improved.
Prices for many categories improved, with some restocking purchases falling in line with more recent store sales.
Supply increases started with Leongatha last week and the larger offering of bullocks lifted with the best selling from 265-275c/kg liveweight.
This pattern followed through all of the major markets of Wodonga, the new Mortlake yards, and Wagga Wagga, where extra export competition aided a lift in price there.
Trade purchases of lighter weight grown steers pushed prices up to 282c/kg. Having said this all markets reported sales of grown steers and bullocks away from the top prices of between 245 and 265c/kg.
It is still the prime time for vealers and more of the better quality grades were yarded. Wodonga agents offered over 350 vealers at top prices of 320c with many selling between 280 and 312c/kg lwt.
Depending on the quality of the vealers, the above prices were similar across the board.
Recent store cattle sales have backed off with most steers selling from 280-320c and heifers generally 265-308c/kg.
Analysing MLA’s cattle market reports showed a similar easing trend by restockers and feedlots, although one could see dearer trends at some markets, but these trends were varied.
Away from bullocks, export grade cattle, manufacturing steers and bullocks, grown heifers, cows and bulls, were all mostly dearer. Some of the biggest increases were seen in lean cow and bull categories. This is not necessarily surprising after some of the very poor results over the past two weeks.
MLA’s market reports indicated that the worst, poor condition, light weight cows, sold from 85c/kg and up, which in some sales was almost double the price form a week ago.
Increasing cow supply and quality brought with it some very good beef cows. On a scale compared to lean cows, these showed only meager rises with the best selling from 210-229c/kg lwt.
At Mortlake, D1 dairy cows sold from 162-198c, which were quoted being 40c/kg dearer.
When cows increase in price so do manufacturing bullocks and grown heifers. Grown heifers sold mostly between 225 and 263c at Shepparton, and at Pakenham, manufacturing bullocks reached 258c/kg lwt.
Camperdown hit the spot for B muscle bulls which sold to 260c/kg lwt. Leongatha was the only market to better this with 282c/kg lwt.