Yarding: 1321 Change: -32
NARACOORTE CATTLE
Tuesday, January 23
Market lost some of its momentum in a similar sized yarding of 1353 head.
On the supply front export grade cattle dominated led by grown steers and heifers plus a reasonable line-up of cows.
Good trade cattle were very limited.
The usual buying group were present but showed less urgency and the tone of the sale was softer although some of best cattle came close to last week’s rates.
Buyers were selective on plainer animals that lacked shape or fat cover and store conditioned steers and heifers met dull enquiry at times.
There was no stand-out lines of trade cattle to suit processors and the best of the yearling type steers sold from 270c to a top of 310c/kg lwt to a feeder order.
Best yearling heifers to 288c/kg. Most of the young steers and heifers sold in a range of 230c to 280c/kg depending on breed quality and condition.
Some of the plainest crossbred animals were pulled below 200c on occasion.
There was a good lead of heavy grown steers which sold from 280c to a top of 312c/kg lwt to show a decline of up to 10c on a week ago.
Heavier steers showing growth and frame but lacking fat cover sold down to 253c to restockers.
More nicely weighed steers in the 500-600kg range made from 270c to a top of 314c/kg lwt.
There was a reasonable supply of heavy grown heifers, most carry a fair bit of fat cover, which generally sold in a range of 250c to 280c/kg lwt.
Again plainer types dipped under this down to a low of 185c/kg.
The cow market didn’t reach the price peaks of a week ago but bidding was consistent at 255c to 265c/kg lwt across the lead run of heavy cows which helped sustain averages close to last week.
One agent had a run of medium style black store cows which had been running with bulls and made from 219c to 261c/kg lwt.
Yarding: 5300 Change: -6997 Lamb: 4085 Change: -6700 Sheep: 1215 Change: -297
NARACOORTE SHEEP AND LAMB
Tuesday, January 23
Significant drop in supply back to just 4085 lambs as the offering more than halved on a week ago.
Quality was good on the lead runs of heavy lambs but weight and finish faded out quickly and there wasn’t a lot of big lines of well finished slaughter types available.
Prices bounced back up again to regain last week’s losses and the best heavy and trade slaughter lambs averaged over 700c/kg cwt again.
Some of the neater lambs between 24-28kg cwt sold particularly well.
The heaviest crossbred lambs over 30kg cwt sold from $230 to a top of $253 with supply limited to just a few hundred head.
The heavy 26-30kg shorn lambs from $220 to $235 and this category posted some of the strongest carcass prices of the market.
The other category to sell well was the bigger lines of store and MK sized lambs at $100 to $140 head, with processors and local agents clashing at times.
Bidding for plainer and odd lots of less than 20 lambs sold to mixed results.
The very plainest little lambs down to $22.
Processors also faced limited sheep numbers with just 1215 offered.
Prices were dearer with the best lines of Merino ewes trending over 300c/kg cwt.
Heaviest ewes $90 to $115, and general run $40 to $80/head.
