Regional market round-up

Cattle Report

Report Date: 17/05/2023

Saleyard: Casino

A combination of good falls of rain throughout the supply area, large numbers of cattle being sold off in recent weeks and continuing low prices, saw a big reduction of 566 head yarded. Young cattle and cows were well supplied in a mixed quality line up of cattle. The largest percentage of young cattle consisted mainly of vealers and weaners.

Most of the young cattle went to restockers in a market that was firm to a cheaper trend, depending on quality and breed. Restocker weaner steers sold from 250c to 394c, while there was a wide range in prices for restocker weaner heifers, selling from 130c to 326c/kg. The few vealers that went to the trade sold from 200c to 240c and trade yearling heifers ranged from 216c to 286c/kg.

The yarding of export cattle consisted mainly of cows, however there was a few pens of heavy bullocks that sold from 260c to 280c/ kg. The mixed yarding of cows saw prices vary considerably to be 15c to 20c cheaper with 2 scores selling from 158c to 193c, medium weight 3 scores averaged 190c and 4 score cows sold from 200c to 225c/kg.

Reporter, Doug Robson

Report Date: 17/05/2023

Saleyard: Dalby

A combination of rain across parts of the supply area and the decline in prices the previous week reduced the supply of stock down to half of the last sale to 2,266 head. All the regular buyers were in attendance and operating. Light weight yearling steers and heifers returning to the paddock were firm. Yearling steers to feed averaged 12c to 20c/kg less. Heavy weight yearling heifers experience very little change. Cows fell in price by a further 20c to 29c/kg.

Light weight yearling steers to restockers made to 396c to average 368c/kg. Yearling steers to feed for the domestic market made to 376c with most from 354c to 362c/kg. Heavy weight yearling steers to feed averaged 331c and made to 365c/kg. Light weight yearling heifers returning to the paddock made to 292c to average 265c/kg. Medium weight yearling heifers to feed made to 290c to average from 271c to 274c and poor-quality lines to restockers at 215c/kg. Heavy weight yearling heifers made to the occasional 314c with most from 280c to 285c/kg.

Heavy grown steers to feed made to 321c to average 303c/kg. Bullocks to export processors made to 319c to average 317c/kg. Medium weight 2 score cows averaged 165c and made to 170c with some to restockers at 192c/kg. Heavy weight 3 score cows made to 198c to average 191c/kg. The best of the good heavy weight cows made to the occasional 221c to average 203c/kg. Heavy weight bulls made to 270c/kg.

Market Reporter, Trevor Hess

Report Date: 11/05/2023

Saleyard: Emerald

1155 head of cattle, 115 less than last week, were penned at Emerald Cattle sale. The yarding featured a large draft of weaner steers and heifers from Georgetown and another draft from Bowen along with local cattle. Quality was good with condition variable depending on the location cattle were drawn from. The regular processors and feeders were present although only operating selectively.

Yearling steers in light weight pens sold to a top of 489c/kg to average from 350c to 489c/ kg. Medium weight pens averaged 336c to 355c/kg. Yearling heifers sold to 265c/kg for light weights, returning averages from 226c to 247c/kg. Medium weights averaged 211c to 259c/kg.

Bullocks to processors topped at 287c/kg to average 237c to 282c/kg. Those to feed topped at 325c to average 251c to 323c/kg. Grown heifers sold to trade buyers to average 217c to 247c/kg.

Heavy cows eased again to average 223c/ kg and top at 238c/kg. Heavy bulls went to processors to 249c/kg and averaged 246c/kg, whilst those to livex averaged 256c/kg with sales to 265c/kg.

Reporter, Richard Thomson

Report Date: 16/05/2023

Saleyard: Roma

Local rain saw numbers drop to 4,915 at Roma, down 2,800 on last week. Cattle were drawn from the local catchment and southwest Queensland, and included some exceptional lines of vendor bred restocker yearlings. Prices for restocker steers and heifers improved across the board with increased competition from the western downs and local backrounders. Restockers out competed feeders on medium weight steers however heavy feeder steers slipped 5c/kg. Prime cattle continued to ease with the average price for heavy cows back a further 16c/kg.

Light weight restocker steers saw improvements of up to 10c with the top price to 438.2c with most around 405c/kg. Feature pens of restocker steers were rewarded selling to an isolated 464.2c with most around 400c, up 21c/ kg. Retsockers paid up to 464.2c for medium weight steer averaging 364c, while feeders paid up to 400c/kg. A limited number of good quality heavy feeders sold to 358.2c to average 338c/kg.

Prices improved by 13c for light weight restocker heifers with a top of 312.2c to average around 288c and restockers heifers 280 to 330kg made to 316.2c averaging 284c/kg. Feeder buyers paid to a top of 292c to average 264c/kg. Heavy heifers to feed over 400kg sold to 304.2c/ kg.

Store cows saw a improvement of 11c to a top of 188.2c to average 167c/kg. Medium cows to the processor sold to 211.2c while good heavy 3 score cows over 520kg sold to 225c/kg to average 211c, back 16c/kg.

Market reporter, Sam Hart

Report Date: 15/05/2023

Saleyard: Toowoomba

Numbers reduced by close half of the previous week’s level down to 298 head at the Toowoomba cattle sale. Overall quality was very mixed with only a small sample of well-bred lines penned. Export buyer attendance was not as good as the previous week however the regular feed and restockers buyers were present and operating. Prices continued to decline across most classes.

Light weight yearling steers returning to the paddock made to a top of 396c to average 314c/kg. Yearling steers to feed for the domestic market averaged 303c with sales to 328c/ kg. Restockers lines in the same weight range made 304c to average 289c/kg. A small selection of heavy weight yearling steers to feed averaged 303c and made to 304c/kg. Light weight yearling heifers to restockers made to 252c to average 239c and processor lines averaged 220c and made to 226c/kg. A handful of yearling heifers to feed made to 236c to average 223c and restockers lines averaged 227c/kg.

Heavy grown steers to feed made to 276c to average 272c/kg. The best of the cows made to 212c/kg. Heavy weight bulls made to 224c/kg. Steer calves sold open auction made to $430/ head. Cows and calves made to $1,420/unit.

Market Reporter, Trevor Hess

Report Date: 16/05/2023

Saleyard: Warwick

The widespread rain across the local supply area and with more predicted numbers at Warwick reduced by 460 head to 730. All the regular processors along with the usual wholesale and feeder buyers attended plus local restockers. With steady rain falling during the sale prices remained firm for most of the restocker and feeder lines with the lesser quality lines receiving the least competition. Young bullocks and heifers sold to strong prices however cows followed the trend of other selling centres and lost 7c to 20c/kg.

Light weight steers to restockers made 398c to average 397c with those over 200kg making 390c to average 351c/kg. Medium weight yearling steers to background made 351c to average 338c with heavy feeder steers to 367c and averaging 333c and 374c to the wholesale meat trade. Yearling heifers over 200kg to restockers made 328c to average 284c with the plainer lines at 234c/kg. Medium weight yearling heifers to the local wholesale meat trade made 342c to average 331c/kg. Heavy yearling heifers to feed averaged 274c and sold to 288c/kg.

Bullocks to processors made 321c to average 304c/kg. Grown heifers to processors sold to 299c and averaged 287c/kg. Light weight cows to restockers made 174c to average 168c/ kg. Heavy score 2 cows to processors made 219c to average 196c with score 4 cows at 234c and averaging 225c/kg. Heavy bulls to processors made 253c to average 243c/kg.

Market Reporter, Errol Luck

Sheep Report Report Date: 17/05/2023

Saleyard: Warwick

Useful falls of rain across the supply area reduced numbers to 1,695 at Warwick with 1,332 lambs and 363 mutton penned. All the regular buyers were in attendance and operating on firm to stronger prices for all trade and heavy weight lambs which lifted from $8 to $11/ head. The mutton penned lifted in price up to $30/head in places. Light lambs to restockers were back by $9/head and feeder lambs firm on last week’s prices.

Light weight young lambs to the wholesale meat trade made $96 to average $93 and those to restockers at $90 to average $79/head. Light lambs to feeder operators sold from $117 to $138/head. Light trade weight lambs to wholesales made $159 to average $153/head. Trade weight lambs to processors made $169 to average $161 with heavy lambs to processors at $178 to average $172/head.

Hoggets to processors lifted in price and sold to $133 to average $108/head. Ewes to processors sold from $100 to $120 and averaged $103/head. Merino wethers with skin to processors averaged $69 and sold to $87/head. Dorper rams to restockers made $210 to average $124/head.

Market Reporter, Errol Luck