The effects of this year’s dry summer and autumn, that has seen six months pass without significant rainfall, was written all over the Meat and Livestock Australia’s (MLA) April cattle industry update.
In its wrap of the January to March season, MLA said despite the establishment of La Niña conditions at the end of last year, eastern Australia experienced a primarily hot and dry summer.
A late season tropical low brought much needed rainfall to parts of Queensland in March, allowing some regions to enter winter with a good body of feed. But further to the south, conditions have deteriorated significantly during summer and the start of autumn.
Large parts of NSW has had serious rainfall deficiencies, with producers eagerly awaiting an autumn break before frosts set in.
But focusing on the Bureau of Meteorology's (BoM) May to July rainfall outlook, which is now almost half completed, MLA said the prospect of above average rainfall is roughly equal for most beef producing regions.
The report stated that Western Victoria was faced with the poorest outlook with only a 35-40 per cent chance of exceeding median rainfall.
The Gippsland region and northern parts of Australia were more likely to receive above average rainfall over the three months.
“Many southern producers, particularly in New South Wales, will face some difficult decisions in the absence of decent autumn rainfall,” the report stated.
Other important highlights in the MLA report was the revised slaughter figures, which was slightly up, alongside carcase rates, while the EYCI dropped to its lowest level in three years. A US supply surge is expected to impact markets in coming months.
These conditions were reflected at Ballarat’s monthly store cattle sale, which as the most central of the premier store cattle markets in Victoria, has been dodging bullets for months.
With 2300 cattle penned, heavy grown and feeder lots met stronger but more limited inquiry, as better sales rose to 310-313 cents a kilogram, and the rest made between 260-305c/kg.
But it was below these cattle where the market buckled and lines of lighter and not so secondary cattle fell to replicate prices in other market centres, especially young heifers that appeared good buying at $450-$600 a head.
The yarding contained a good selection of cattle suitable to feed along with an increased number of smaller spring-drop calves. The market for breeding females varied. Demand for cows to calve offered opportunities, while those with calves at foot sold to good inquiry.
Cows to calve made $900 to $1490, while cows with calves at foot sold in pen lots made $1500 to $2000 per outfit.
*See a full weather wrap-up on pages 4-5