Victorian weekly cattle summary
7/11/2008
Quality mixed Supplied declined across most markets reported by MLA’s NLRS with the cheaper trend of recent weeks weighing on producers minds. The total throughput was impacted on by Camperdown and Pakenham not selling on Tuesday due to Melbourne Cup public holiday. A couple of centres were also impacted on by some patchy rain prior to sale. Numbers were down 33% with the largest falls being recorded at Wodonga and Ballarat. Going against the trend was Colac where supply returned to typical spring time level. State throughput when compared to this time last year was down, albeit only slightly. Quality continues to vary from centre to centre and even within each market. Supplementary fed lines received the strongest enquiry. Young cattle accounted for 48% of the state throughput with yearlings accounting for almost 60% of these. Of the grown cattle, cows continued to be in large numbers as they represented just over 50% of the export categories and 30% of these were dairy lines. Just 7% of all cattle offered returned to the paddock with restockers attention, not surprisingly, mostly focused on light vealers and yearlings. Feeders secured even less with just 6% purchased. Most cattle (86%) were secured by processors local butchers and wholesalers. Competition has remained mixed with exporters still not able to benefit completely from an A$ that has reduced over recent weeks. Quality also played a part to this trend. The reduced numbers though caused all buyers to be more active than recent weeks. Prices for most categories were dearer as a result. A dearer trend emerges Calves to restockers ranged from 136¢ to 176¢ while the better lines to slaughter averaged considerable dearer at 188¢/kg. Some good quality B muscle vealer steers were offered and these topped at 225¢ with the majority of these making around 203¢/kg. Heavy C3 vealer steers averaged 183¢ or 13¢/kg dearer. The better B muscle vealer heifers sold to 215¢ as medium weights returning to the paddock generally made from 156c to 158c/kg. The C muscle medium and heavyweights ranged from 172¢ to 178¢/kg. Medium weight C3 yearling steers improved 16¢ to 177c after selling to 190¢/kg. The few heavyweights purchased by feeders averaged 161.5¢ with a large number to processors lifting 5¢ to 171¢/kg. Light yearling heifers returning to the paddock gained 2¢ to 123¢/kg. Medium and heavy weights to slaughter jumped 15¢ and 11¢ to average 163.6 and 171¢/kg respectively. Medium weight grown steers topped at 188¢ with most selling closer to 171¢ to be 16¢/kg dearer. Lean heavy steers and bullocks were slightly cheaper, however the 3 and 4 scores were 4¢ to 11¢/kg dearer. Medium weight D3 cows lifted 11¢ to average 136¢ as dairy lines sold around 124¢/kg. The top of the heavy cows made to 155¢ as the D4s generally made 142¢/kg.
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