Season, prices looking good as solstice looms

IT IS only 10 days till the shortest day and the Tasmanian weather is generally staying mild which is making the autumn/winter looking pretty good for many and better than a month ago for many (mainly in the South). 

Livestock prices are also in very good shape and as we spoke about last week cattle prices have continued to improve from Queensland right down the East Coast which has meant that many heavy cows are making over 400c, grown steers and bullocks 450c to 500c and trade cattle 480c to 540c/kg. 

Most feeder steers are selling from 500c to 550c and heifers 480c to 520c while many weaner cattle are nudging over 600c/kg liveweight.

Lamb and mutton prices have continued to firm with numbers in saleyards falling but numbers direct to the works are certainly keeping the supply chain going very well. It should also be noted that the kill numbers are a fair bit lower than 12 months ago with many of the big works killing 20-30% less numbers than 12 months ago. 

Because the store lamb and feeder prices have been so high over this season, there is more emphasis on getting more weight into the lambs and so there is a bigger percentage of lambs over 30 kg than in recent years. 

As a result, these extra heavy lambs are averaging around 1,100c while heavy (26-30 kg) are averaging 1,170c, heavy trade (24-26 kg) at 1,215c and trade (20-24 kg) are quoted at 1,245c/kg carcass weight through the major saleyards in Victoria and NSW. These prices are similar to the late winter prices of last year and it will be interesting to see if these prices improve further over the next couple of months or will the customers (both here and overseas) react and buy less.

Mutton prices are at all time highs and this has become pretty consistent with many averages sitting between 800c and 850c/kg and on Monday evening the National mutton indicator sat at 852c which is 218c higher than 12 months ago.

Locally, the word is that there is a real shortage of sheep and producers will try and hold their numbers at current levels at least until the spring.

With these high prices of both lambs and mutton, it is likely that many abattoirs will take maintenance breaks that last a bit longer than normal. Time will tell.

Lambs take long weekend

Following the long week-end, there was a much smaller number of 630 lambs (823 less) at Powranna on Wednesday. 

There was a better selection of trade and heavy lambs with fewer lines of store types included. 

The market was similar to slightly dearer in the prime market while store prices came off the extremes of last week.

 Heavy lambs sold for $282 to $318, trade $242 to $276 and light trade $184 to $236. Restockers bought light lambs for $132 to $148/head. 

There was another small yarding of 570 mutton and all sheep met a fully firm market with heavy pens making $200 to $240, medium $162 to $220 and light $106 to $120/head.

THERE was a very small wintery yarding of 62 cattle and all cattle sold to a stronger market with yearlings 15c to 20c dearer with steers selling for 442c to 462c and heifers 400c to 450c.

 A few secondary heifers made 356c to 380c/kg.

There were 40 cows penned and heavy cows averaged 4c dearer making 338c to 368c and leaner 304c to 336c/kg liveweight.