Confidence in cattle industry

THE shortest day has come and gone and it is all cruising  from here.

Livestock prices continue on a very good level and the wintery conditions have started to take over from the very mild early winter we have been having.

Just to show what a strange season we have had, producers from The North East were telling me last week that they were picking buckets of mushrooms in mid-June, if you don’t mind.

Last week we ventured out to Powranna where agents yarded 1,085 store cattle.

As we would expect at this time of the year, quality and breed was very mixed but the market was very strong with plenty of cattle improving $200 to $300/head on the May sale with competition from all over the state and an interstate order from South Australia who took about 20 per cent of the total.

These cattle had a fair trip in front of them as they were headed to the Murray Bridge area which is pretty close to Adelaide.

The heavy weaner steers (300 + kg) made $1,860 to $2,020 (av.550c), medium (280-330 kg) $1,640 to $1,860 (575c), light (200-280 kg) $1,320 to $1,700 (640c) and very small $900 to $1,360 (670c). Most yearling steers made $1,720 to $2,300 (560c). Medium heifer weaners made $1,440 to $1,640 (500c), light $1,100 to $1,500 (535c) and very small $780 to $1,120. Heavy yearling heifers made $1,940 to $2,140, medium $1,720 to $1,880 and light $1,200 to $1,480/head.

As we can see, a lot of steers averaged 570c to 670c which meant that there were some over 700c and the same with heifers as those averages were in the mid 500c but there were heifers nudging over 600c/kg liveweight which is a great result for the sellers on the day.

There is no doubt there is a lot of confidence around the cattle industry and we saw that on Tuesday at Powranna when yearling steers made 436c to 506c/kg.

I know that this is on the back of small numbers, but it is a very long time since we have seen 500c or above in these yards.

Cow prices were also much dearer with the best cows making 380c to 404c while restockers paid 370c to 394c for leaner cows.

This meant that the best heavy cows made $2,500 to $3,300 and heavy bulls made $3,045 to $3,663/head.

The next few months will be interesting in the cattle markets with many positives and the only downside at the moment being that we have filled out Chinese quota which now mean any beef exported to China will attract a 55 per cent tariff.

Needless to say, we will have to find a new home for much of this beef.

Fewer cattle at Powranna

THERE was a small yarding of trade and export cattle at Powranna on Tuesday with about 70% being cows.

All prices were much higher and at levels not seen for many months.

The best yearling steers made 436c to 506c while the seconds were bought by restockers for 410c to 424c/kg.

There were 36 cows yarded and most averaged 30c higher with heavy beef cows making 380c to 404c while restockers paid 370c to 394c for leaner types. The best heavy cows worked out at $2,700 to $3,330/head. Heavy bulls made 320c to 350c with all making $3,045 to $3,663/head.

THERE was a much smaller number of 767 lambs (306 less) and the best trade and heavy trade met a stronger market with most making $260 to $320 while light trade pens made $175 to $230.

Restockers paid $178 to $206 for light trade, $124 to $164 for light and $54 to $100 for very small. There was also a smaller yarding of 415 mutton (541 less) and this market recovered most of last week’s losses with heavy sheep making $186 to $230, medium $156 to $166 and light $108 to $120/head.