There is always some frivolity that surrounds the Melbourne Cup, but this did not flow on at the regular Pakenham fat cattle market, Monday.
Pakenham agents offered a smaller yarding of cattle, Monday, which, MLA’s market reporter, Brendan Fletcher, said “Prices were a little cheaper with some buyers not able to make a start due to lack of suitable cattle”.
Only small numbers of younger trade cattle and vealers were penned with most of the yarding being grown cattle.
The best of the vealers sold to 320 cents per kilogram liveweight, while yearling steers of good quality sold to 298c/kg.
Prime bullocks sold to 298c, and averaged 4c/kg cheaper, but much of the yarding were not quite finished, and many did not suit lot feeders.
This saw many cattle sell between 195 and 265c/kg lwt.
A small, but mostly good quality offering of beef cows sold from 200 to 240c, with fat cover being an issue.