MOUNT GAMBIER CATTLE – WEDNESDAY 1143 (484)
NUMBERS climbed sharply as agents yarded 1143 head of live weight and open auction cattle.
These sold to a slightly smaller field of trade and processor buyers with both feeders and restockers active across the market.
Quality was a mixed this week with less of the prime heavy cattle while a larger number of vealers came forward as the market generally sold to an easier trend.
Vealer steers to the trade were of much better quality this week and these bucked the easier trend of the rest of the market to lift up to 7c as they ranged from 387c to 443c to the trade with similar heifers making from 360c to 446c/kg.
Feeders were active on vealer steers selling from 390c to 430c and on heifers making from 375c to 415c as restockers sourced steers from 389c to 400c and heifers up to 408c/kg.
Yearling steers to the trade made from 374c to 403c to ease 6c as the yearling heifers also to the trade returned from 350c to 414c/kg. Feeder orders operated on steers selling from 388c to 415c and on heifers making from 355c to 414c with restocker interest in steers up to 470c/kg.
Grown steers and bullocks lacked the finish of the previous week as they sold from 305c to 400c to be 15c to 18c cheaper in price as feeders operated here, selling from 362c to 420c/kg.
Grown heifers to the trade ranged from 343c to 382c with feeders active here selling from 320c to 406c as manufacturing steers made from 290c to 338c/kg.
Heavy cows were up to 20c easier as they sold from 280c to 320c as both the trade and feeders sought lighter beef types, selling from 250c to 284c as a run of dairy cows made from 236c to 280c/kg.
Heavy bulls sold from 280c to 300c/kg.
NARACOORTE CATTLE – TUESDAY 1344 (478)
Numbers climbed sharply as agents yarded 1344 head of live weight and open auction cattle.
These sold to the usual array of trade and processor buyers along with feeder and restocker orders.
Quality improved this week with more weight and condition spread over the pens as the market ranged from firm to a little softer in places with the good cattle continuing to receive strong competition.
Vealer numbers were small as steers ranged from 430c to 446c as heifers made from 385c to 398c/kg with both the trade and feeders
operating here.
Yearling steers to the trade ranged from 348c to 420c with similar heifers returning from 346c to 420c/kg.
Feeders sought steers from 393c to 445c and heifers from 362c to 419c/kg.
Restocker orders purchased steers from 333c to 470c and heifers from 329c to 400c as a run of pastoral bred heifers ranged from 279c to 380c/kg.
The grown steers and bullocks contained some great weights and finish as these sold from 320c to 402c with feeder activity from 342c to 402c/kg as well.
Grown heifers to the trade made from 312c to 380c with feeder activity from 344c to 380c as well as manufacturing steers ranged from 270c to 292c/kg.
Heavy cows remained firm in price as these returned from 286c to 320c with the lighter types to the trade making from 220c to 280c as
feeders sourced supply from 205c to 298c/kg.
Heavy bulls ranged from 255c to 302c with the lighter types selling to 312c/kg.
NARACOORTE SHEEP – TUESDAY 18,548 (-4775)
Numbers eased as agents yarded less lambs but more sheep as 15,775 lambs and 2773 sheep combined to total 18,548 head overall. These sold to the same large field of trade and processor buyers with more active restockers this week while some restockers failed to purchase.
The quality of the new season lambs was very good as most pens contained plenty of weight and finish as well as freshness in the skin.
However, price fell away as lambs sold to cheaper rates while sheep continued their run of recent weeks to sell to improved pricing.
Light lambs to the trade ranged from $120 to $148 as the light weight trade 2 and 3 score selection returned from $147 to $154/head. A number of active restockers competed for supply as they purchased from $116 to $149 for lighter weights and from $146 to $172/head for those with more weight.
Trade weight 3 score lambs made from $149 to $165 to ease $4 to $8 with these lambs ranging from mainly 720c to 760c/kg cwt as the heavy lambs ranged from $164 to $190 with these falling by $10 to $15/head.
Extra heavy lambs returned from $188 to a market high of $220/head.
Hoggets ranged from $87 to $170 as light ewes returned from $45 to $118/head.
Medium weighted ewes made from $122 to $148 as most sheep ranged from 580c to 630c/kg cwt with the heavy pens selling from $143 to a high of $223 as sheep lifted by $8 to $12/head.
Wethers ranged from $175 to a high of $254 as Rams made from $78 to $135/head.
