Cattle continues to shine
The biggest sale price gains were seen at NSW markets this week.
THE cattle market is enjoying a stellar run as more rain tightens winter supply and continues to inspire restocking activity.
There were standout sales to both processors and restockers at saleyards in the past week, with up to 467c/kg liveweight paid by domestic meatbuyers for vealers and over 500c/kg outlaid by farmers for yearling steers.
It all combined to take the Eastern Young Cattle Indicator to 771c/kg carcass weight on Monday night.
The biggest price gains were seen at NSW markets this week after further rain on the weekend reduced numbers.
There were 2040 cattle yarded at Wagga Wagga on Monday – 1500 fewer than a week ago and one of the smallest offerings this season.
Bidding ramped up by 10–20c/kg across many steer and heifer categories, according to the National Livestock Reporting Service.
The bigger runs of yearling steers to feedlot orders averaged nearly 420c/kg liveweight, with the 400kg plus run returning an average of $1782 across a weight of 426kg.
Feeder heifers from 330–400kg also averaged over 400c/kg at Wagga Wagga.
NLRS data shows price gains across any quality slaughter cattle in the past week, the hot spot being well finished steers and heifers suiting domestic kill orders.
At Swan Hill last week a pen of Charolais-cross vealer steers weighing 338kg sold for 467c/kg, to be talked about as a possible record for the centre.
Similar money was recorded at Pakenham on Monday where the pick of the highly muscled European-sired milk calves sold to 455c/kg lwt.
Processors have also stepped-up rates for heavier slaughter cattle.
At Pakenham on Monday grown steers weighing from 500–600kg sold from 375c/kg to a top of 412c/kg for a standout pen of European breeding.
Bullocks over 600kg sold from 372–388c/kg, as the higher money for weight pushed some sales of extra heavy cattle over $3000 in the past week. Once off the top lines of slaughter cattle, there is still a range of 330–380c/kg for a lot of grass fed heifers and plainer steers. The latest national price indicators at the close of selling on Monday night were:
HEAVY STEERS 382.7c/kg lwt – a gain of 34 cents in the past week and up 83 cents on a year ago.
MEDIUM COWS 275c/kg lwt – up 7.4 cents in the past week and 90 cents above last June.
YEARLING STEERS sold to processors 400c/kg – up 1 cents but 100c/kg better than a year ago.
YEARLING STEERS to restockers 428c/kg – down 3.5 cents but up 167 cents on a year ago.
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