Yarding: 903 Change: 559
NARACOORTE CATTLE
Tuesday, January 9
Agents yarded 903 cattle for the first sale of 2024 at Naracoorte as the higher prices since the rain encouraged more numbers compared to pre-Christmas markets.
Quality varied although buyers had access to some good types in most of the major categories of grown steers, heifers and cows.
The regular buying field attended and there was some significant price increases compared to December, although it wasn’t universal with demand for any plain or lighter cattle still selective.
As one auctioneer noted, cattle needed to tick all the boxes in regards to weight, fat cover and shape to receive the full support of the buying gallery.
Cows were the stand-out with some heavy beef types selling to 259c/kg lwt as they consistently gained more than 30c on pre Christmas markets.
There wasn’t a lot of neat trade cattle in the yarding and domestic orders generally tried to buy below 280c/kg lwt.
There was just a handful of high yielding steers and heifers, European sired, which sold higher to a top of 305c/kg lwt.
The general run of yearling steers and heifers sold in a range of 230c to 280c/kg lwt to a mix of restockers, feedlots and processors.
A few secondary animals sold below 200c at times.
The lead pens of grown steers displaying good carcass finish sold from 250c to a top of 295c/kg and it was interesting to note that some of the highest priced sales were for the heaviest lots.
The bidding trend across the whole sale favoured cattle with weight.
This was evident in the grown heifers where some aged types well over 600kg lwt sold to 266c/kg lwt.
Most of the better processing heifers from 230c to 270c/kg lwt.
There was still some dull spots, however, for a few secondary heifers that went below 150c on occasion.
There wasn’t a lot of cows in the yarding but processor support was consistent and at much stronger levels.
A run of very heavy beef cows in prime condition and expected to yield well sold from 244c to a top of 259c/kg lwt.
General run of cows with fat cover from 220c to 240c/kg.
Bidding only went below 200c for a few single lighter conditioned and plainer shaped cows.
Yarding: 14000 Change: 10333 Lamb: 10000 Change: 7041 Sheep: 4000 Change: 3292
NARACOORTE SHEEP AND LAMB
Tuesday, January 9
Bigger and better quality line-up of lambs to kick-start selling at Naracoorte this New Year.
All agents had a lead of very good heavy lambs off grain, lucerne and beans, buyers noting the quality and anticipating lambs would weigh with them.
Prices were considerably dearer than pre Christmas markets, matching the trend seen at other saleyards since the heavy rain.
The heaviest export lambs over 30kg cwt consistently sold above $220/hd to a top of $272 for a cost trend of 700c to 750c/kg cwt over most.
There was some strong sales of heavy lambs and the 26-30kg cwt category of crossbreds posted one of the best averages of the sale at around 760c/kg cwt after prices ranged from $189 to $228/head. Competition was strongest for shorn lambs which had weight and were hard finished.
Any good trade lambs sold from $160 to $200 with most sales from 720c to 780c/kg for the top end.
There was trade lambs under 700c in places, and any unshorn and longer woollen lambs were not as well supported by processors.
Not many light lambs and they were dearer at $116 to $150/head.
The sheep market was dearer but gains were more modest than lamb.
The trend for mutton was 200c to 250c/kg which put sheep in the range of $40 to $90/head.
Yarding: 1336 Change: -276
MOUNT GAMBIER CATTLE
Wednesday, January 10
Numbers eased this week as agents offered 1,336 head of liveweight and open auction cattle.
These sold to a larger field of buyers with the trade, feeders and restockers all active over the pens.
Quality was mixed with something for all buyers coming forward and all pens received strong buyer competition.
The better types were highly sought after and were markedly dearer in price as the whole market received an increase this week.
Vealer steers to the trade lifted from 15c to 30c to range from 205c to 327c as similar heifers made from 212c to 318c/kg.
Feeders operated from 258c to 310c on steers and from 215c to 230c on the heifers as restockers were active from 180c to 266c/kg.
Yearling steers attracted the trade from 244c to 292c to rise from 25c up to 50c with similar heifers making from 249c to 271c with a lift of 30c/kg for the heifers.
Feeders sought steers from 240c to 280c and heifers from 228c to 272c/kg.
Restockers competed for supply as they purchased steers up to 244c and heifers to 232c/kg.
Grown steers and bullocks returned from 260c to 310c to the trade to rise 20c to 30c with feeder activity from 240c to 280c/kg.
Grown heifers rose 30c to sell from 202c to 275c to the trade with some feeder support to 264c as manufacturing steers sold from 238c to 259c/kg.
Heavy cows were also buoyant this week to range from 234c to 260c with a lift of 40c as lighter types made from 170c to 238c/kg.
Heavy bulls ranged from mostly 170c to 230c with lighter types reaching 210c as restockers were active here to 241c/kg.
Yarding: 6765 Change: 4387 Lamb: 6328 Change: 4035 Sheep: 437 Change: 352
MOUNT GAMBIER SHEEP AND LAMB
Wednesday, January 10
Numbers lifted this week following the lift in pricing at the last sale as agents yarded 6,328 lambs and 437 sheep to total a combined 6,765 head overall.
These sold to the usual field of trade and processor buyers who competed on a mixed quality offering.
These was a premium for the shorn lots with a number of woolly pens still coming forward with dryness in the skin in most of these.
Also coming forward was a large percentage of lambs who weren’t carrying the weight and condition as the best pens with these lambs receiving some mixed results from the buying group.
Overall the market sold from firm to a little better in places with rates of 750c to 770c/kg cwt over most pens.
Light lambs to the trade sold from $68 to $133 with the lightweight trade lambs selling from $126 to $150/head.
Restocker orders sourced lambs from $49 to $135/head.
Tradeweight lambs sold from $141 to $188 to range from firm to $5/head better in price.
Heavy lambs returned from $174 to $222 with the few extra heavy pens making from $182 to the market high of $250/head.
Hoggets sold from $63 to $80 as ewes returned from $39 to $65 as a pens of rams sold for $5/head.
