MOUNT GAMBIER CATTLE – WEDNESDAY 659 (38)
Numbers lifted slightly as agents yarded 659 head of live weight and open auction cattle. These sold to another large field of trade and processor buyers with both feeders and restockers active across the offering. Quality was generally good with some spring finish over the pens as some heavy bullocks and cows came forward with great weights and finish as the market ranged from firm to dearer in price. Vealer numbers climbed as steers to the trade ranged from 420c to 440c with feeder activity from 405c to 419c as restockers operated from 450c to 495c/kg. Vealer heifers made from 363c to 422c with both the trade and feeders active on these. Yearling steers lifted by 10c to 15c as the trade was active from 392c to 402c with similar heifers returning from 338c to 396c/kg. Feeder steers ranged from 391c to 420c with the feeder heifers selling from 320c to 402c/kg. Restockers sourced yearling steers from 436c to 450c/kg. Grown steers and bullocks ranged from 352c to 395c to the trade with feeder support from 354c to 410c/kg. Grown heifers to the trade ranged from 310c to 380c with feeder activity here from 346c to 382c as manufacturing steers sold from 291c to 352c/kg. Heavy cows remained firm in price as they ranged from 280c to 328c as the lighter selection returned from 270c to 300c while bulls made from 276c to 310c/kg.
NARACOORTE CATTLE – TUESDAY 866 (222)
Numbers rose as agents yarded 866 head of live weight and open auction cattle. These sold to the usual field of trade and processor buyers with both feeders and restockers active across the offering. Quality was generally good as spring continues as the market ranged from firm to dearer as trade cattle sold to similar rates as the week before while feeder types lifted this week. Vealer numbers were small as steers returned from 401c to 438c with the heifers selling to 420c/kg. Yearling steers to the trade were firm in price as they made from 370c to a high of 440c in an isolated sale as the yearling heifers sold from 319c to 430c/kg. Feeder cattle lifted by 10c to 20c as steers sold from 374c to 442c as the heifers made from 355c to 425c/kg. Restockers sought supply here paying from 416c to 442c on steers and from 348c to 413c/kg on heifers. Grown steers and bullocks were in short supply as they ranged from 370c to 415c with the grown heifers returning from 268c to 407c as manufacturing steers made up to 330c/kg. Heavy cows were also firm in price as they sold from 285c to 315c with the lighter types to the trade making from 240c to 271c/kg. Feeders were active here paying from 282c to 294c as restockers sought supply to 281c/kg. Heavy bulls sold from 242c to 300c with lighter types selling to 399c/kg.
NARACOORTE SHEEP – TUESDAY 23,323 (8868)
Numbers climbed sharply as agents yarded 20,622 lambs and 2701 sheep to total 23,323 head with a rise of nearly 9000 head this week. These sold to a larger array of trade and processor buyers with an extra Victorian order along with a larger number of active restockers who competed strongly for lambs to turn out and grow on. The quality on offer was very good with some superb heavy pens with great weights and finish, as well as being fresh in the skin while an excellent line up of trade types was also presented. Pricing however mainly fell away after the highs of the week before, as both sheep and lamb markets eased by $10 to $12/head with more in places. The restocking lambs bucked this trend to lift by $5 to $7 with the extra orders providing the competition for these lambs. Light lambs to the trade sold from $116 to $142 with the light weight trade 2 and 3 score types returning from $144 to $154/head. Restockers were very active as they sought supply paying from $106 to $118 on lighter weights and from $128 to $150/head for heavier pens. Trade weight 3 score lambs made from $152 to $182/head as they sold from mainly from 750c to 780c/kg cwt. Heavy lambs sold from $174 to $214 as the extra heavy pens made from $204 to the market high of $243/head. Light old lambs made from $110 to $123 with the medium weights returning from $138 to $158 as heavy old lambs sold from $163 to a high of $198/head. Hoggets made from $110 to $180 with light ewes selling to $106/head. Medium weighted ewes returned from $115 to $145 with the heavier types making from $134 to a high of $198/head as most ewes sold from 520c to 580c/kg cwt. Wethers sold from $175 to $215 as rams made from $63 to $130/head.
