Large yardings for SWQ
ROMA
THERE was a yarding of 6169 at the Roma Store Sale, up 2609 head on last week. A total of 3500 head of milk and two-tooth steers were presented, along with more than 2000 heifers and approximately 1000 cows, some with calves at foot. All buyers were in attendance and quality ranged from very good to poor as some cattle presented were from drought-affected areas.
Light calves topped at 274c to average 251c/kg. Yearling steers to restockers in the 200-280kg range topped at 328c to average 291c/kg in a large sample. Restockers and feedlotters purchased the very good quality pens in a very competitive market, with restockers paying to 328c to average 290c, while feeders paid to a top of 305c/kg. Yearling heifers topped at 270c, with a large portion going to feed topping at 260c to average 247c/kg.
Grown steers four to six tooth to processors topped at 274c/kg. Cows to processors topped at 213c and medium weights going to restockers made 208c/kg. Cows with calves at foot topped at $1100/unit, with 80 bulls to feed selling at 254c to average 245c/kg, and several light weight bulls were purchased to be grown out for the live export market. Heavy bulls made to 239c to average 224c/kg.
WARWICK
THE supply of stock remained close to the previous week’s high level. The large yarding of young cattle varied widely in standard. A small selection of heavy grown steers and bullocks were penned along with a mixed quality line-up of cows.
Light weight yearling steers returning to the paddock declined more than 20c/kg. However medium and heavy weight yearling steers suitable to go straight to feedlot experienced little change in price. Light weight yearling heifers to restockers or backgrounders eased a further 5c to 10c/kg. Heavy grown steers and bullocks to export slaughter improved in price and the fair line-up of cows gained 5-10c/kg.
A large selection of light weight yearling steers returning to the paddock averaged 250c and made to 270c, while the lesser quality lines averaged 220c/kg. Medium weight yearling steers to feed averaged 264c and made to 270c/kg. Heavy weight yearling steers to feed mostly sold from 260c to 270c, while some made 273.2c/kg. Light weight yearling heifers sold in the mid-220c range and poor quality lines made 208c/kg. Medium weight yearling heifers to feed averaged 236c and a small number to the trade made to 269.2c/kg.
Heavy grown steers made to 264.2c and bullocks made to 269.6c to average 267c/kg. Medium weight two-score cows averaged 166c, while three scores made 187c/kg. Heavy cows in good condition made to 214.2c, with a good sample averaging 210c/kg. Heavy bulls made to 241.2c/kg.
TOOWOOMBA
NUMBERS increased by 126 head following the two-week break in the selling program. Cattle were drawn from the local areas plus a large consignment from Cameron Corner.
Young light weight cattle in plain condition dominated the yarding, along with a handful of heavy grown steers and bullocks and a mixed quality line-up of cows. Prices for light weight yearling steers returning to the paddock averaged 17c/kg less compared to the sale of two weeks ago. Medium and heavy weight yearling steers to feed were marginally cheaper. Light weight yearling heifers averaged 9c cheaper, with lesser-quality lines losing up to 20c/kg. Medium weight yearling heifers to feed sold to a market about 9c/kg less. However, cows generally sold to stronger demand with some improvement to prices in places.
The occasional pen of vealer steers with showring potential made to 400c/kg. Vealer heifers sold about 225c, with a couple to local butchers reaching 245c/kg. Light weight yearling steers returning to the paddock made to 289.2c, with a good sample averaging 263c/kg.
Yearling steers to feed in the 280-330kg range made to 270c to average close to 265c/kg. Medium weight yearling steers to feed averaged 259c and made to 262.2c/kg. Heavy weight yearling steers to feed made to 260.2c to average in the mid-250c/kg range. Light weight yearling heifers averaged 227c and lesser-quality lines averaged 180c/kg. Medium weight yearling heifers to feed averaged 232c and made to 236.2c/kg.
A handful of heavy grown steers averaged close to 249c/kg. Medium weight two-score cows average 166c and the best of the medium weights made to 199.2c to average 193c/kg. Good heavy cows averaged 200c and made to the occasional 221.2c/kg. Heavy bulls made to 236.2c/kg.
DALBY
NUMBERS increased by
30 per cent and cattle continued to be drawn from a wide area, with 770 from New South Wales, 860 from far western Queensland and the remainder from local areas. Prices tended to improve in places at the time of the interim report. Heavy weight yearling steer to feed averaged 5c dearer, while medium weight yearling heifers gained 5-10c/kg.
Heavy grown steers to export slaughter averaged 4c/kg better. A large line of cows lifted in price by 2-7c/kg. Yearling steers to feeders made from 256.2c to 275c to average 268.5c/kg. Heavy yearling heifers made from 238.2c to 254.2c to average 244.2c, up 14c/kg at the time of this report.
Medium weight grown steers have made from 257.2c to 263.2c, up 4c/kg. Too few grown heifers have sold to quote at this stage. Heavy cows to slaughter made from 195.2c to 213.2c to average 206.6c, up by 4c/kg. The best of the bulls has made to 259.2c/kg.
GYMPIE
SULLIVAN Livestock yarded 1356 cattle at its Gympie sale on Monday, where the market remained firm on recent sales. Cattle were drawn from Gin Gin, Childers, Hervey Bay, Aramara, Tansey, Kilkivan, Woolooga, Kenilworth, Eumundi and all local areas.
Charbray steers from Barry Denham, Lower Wonga, sold for $2.60. Brangus steers from John Grabbe, Hervey Bay, made $2.58, while their droughtmaster brothers made $2.59. Charbray steers from Jim and Sue Heath, Calgoa, made $2.62. Droughtmaster steers from David Higgins, Bauple, made $2.64. Droughtmaster steers from Tom Murphy, Mapleton, made $3.13. Droughtmaster steers from the Whalan family made $3.01. Wongella Pastoral, Kilkivan, sold charbray steers for $2.99. Brangus steers from the Jackson family, Owanyilla, made $2.99. Droughtmaster steers from the Paulger family, Kenilworth, made $3.27. Droughtmaster-cross steers from Terry Schiefelbein, Munna Creek, made $3.05. The next run of weaner steers generally sold from $2.65 to $2.90.
Feeder heifers topped at $2.43 with most lines selling from $2.28 to $2.35. Quality F1 charbray heifers from Brett Dodds, Hivesville, made $3.61 to return $982 and $980. His brahman heifers made $2.91. Simmental-cross heifers from Neville and Lyndall Ensby made $2.79. Droughtmaster weaner heifers from the Paulger family made $2.50. Brahman heifers from Wongella Pastoral made $2.71. Brangus heifers from the Jackson family sold for $2.51. The next run of weaner heifers generally sold from $2.20 to $2.48.
Cows and calves were limited in supply and sold to a top of $1240.
CASINO
NUMBERS were down by 276 for a yarding of 1100 head. About 900 head of young cattle were sold, consisting of a good supply of vealers and weaners and a fair penning of light yearlings.
Quality was fairly mixed with several pens of well-finished vealers offered, however there were increased numbers of weaners throughout the sale.
The market saw little change, with restockers showing more interest in the well-bred cattle while plainer grades attracted less demand. Trade vealers sold to 248c for an average of 231c/kg. Restocker weaner steers sold from 180c to 290c and the restocker weaner heifers sold to a top of 256c/kg. Restocker yearling steers topped at 287c and the heifers sold to 278c/kg.
The yarding of export cattle consisted mainly of cows, with insufficient numbers of grown steers and heifers for a quote.
The yarding of cows was made up of several pens of some well-finished medium and heavy cows, however there was a fair number of one- and two-score cows offered.
The market was mainly firm to slightly dearer, with three-score medium weight cows averaging 177c and heavy cows selling to a top of 195c/kg.
TAMWORTH
NUMBERS remained steady this week with large supplies of cows on offer. This is a sign of the drought conditions where core breeding herds are being offloaded.
Young cattle made up the bulk of the offering, with limited supplies of grown steers and heifers. Quality was very mixed and there was a large variation in condition. The full field of buyers was back and all operated.
Market trends varied through the young cattle, with vealer steers suitable to restockers recovering some of last week’s losses to record a dearer trend of up to 9c/kg.
The heifer portion also had a dearer trend, with both the trade and restockers selling as much as 11c/kg dearer.
Medium and heavy yearling steers saw a mostly firm trend with the odd cheaper sale. Yearling heifers had some variation in the market, with some of the plainer-quality cattle cheaper, while there was an odd sale in the better-quality lots that were a little dearer.
The limited supply of well-finished heavy grown steers sold to a slightly dearer trend, however overall the quality was down.
Plain-condition cows sold to a dearer trend, with some good lines of well-bred breeders on offer. The well-finished cows met weaker processor demand to show a cheaper trend of as much as 15c/kg.