Big bids for quality cattle

LAST week Elders held their first weaner sale of the autumn at Powranna where they yarded 2,808 mainly Angus bred cattle.

The quality was very good, an absolute credit to the breeders, with cattle coming from all over the state.

There was strong local competition plus three Victorian orders that took over 300 head.

Some of the heaviest weaners attracted extra Victorian competition and pushed prices up while most of the rest of the steers met a similar market.Over in the heifers the market was not as erratic as the previous week.

Heavy steer weaners (330+ kg) made $1,700 to $2,370 (av.530c), medium (280-330 kg) $1,460 to $1,820 (550c), light (200-280 kg) $1,200 to $1,650 (578c) and very small $1,060 to $1,260 (597c). Heavy heifer weaners made $1,340 to $1.850 (430c), medium $1,060 to $1,420 (436c), light $1,060 to $1,220 (465c) and very small $800 to $1,060 (515c).

With a bit of extra rain in most parts of the state these store cattle prices are likely to continue as backgrounders and restockers look for numbers to replace the prime cattle they are selling at the moment.

Most cattle prices in interstate saleyards this week held fully firm with restockers and feeders controlling the markets.

The talking point of the last two weeks has been the mutton prices with the national indicator sitting around record levels in the big saleyards of NSW  and Victoria with most sheep making 800c and in cases nudging 900c/kg carcass weight.

Most heavy sheep in these interstate markets are making over $240 with the best well over $300 while locally at Powranna on Tuesday extra heavy sheep made $280 to $300, heavy $252 to $258, medium $130 to $220 and light $100 to $174/head.

The general commentary says that there is a shortage of mutton across the eastern states and it would appear that the sheep exporters can make more out of mutton than lambs.

Lamb prices are also continuing to rise as supply is tightening with more lambs averaging over 1,100c/kg in interstate yards with restockers very strong on light lambs and also are pushing into the tradeweights.

At Powranna on Tuesday restockers bought trade lambs for $228 to $238, light trade $194 to $208, light $134 to $220 and very small $88 to $150/head. There is real preference for shorn lambs. There appears to be plenty of confidence in the lamb job with forward contracts starting to be released and it will be interesting to see what some of the winter contract prices look like.