WA weekly cattle summary
14/11/2008
Buoyant numbers of cows and bulls Activity in the far north of the State continues to decline with live export activity now focusing on southern ports. Conditions in the southern Ag districts of WA have remained very mild for this time of year and this has hampered harvesting activity. Severe frosting and late rainfall has seen many cereal crops producing inferior grain quality and this has had a negative impact on the price of feed grains. The market is yet to see whether or not the higher tonnages of feed quality grain will have an impact on the feeder cattle market with many feeders in WA still sceptical about many forward contractual prices that have come out. Hay production has all but finished with only areas in the far south still active with the earlier frosting also seeing higher volumes of cereal hay now on the market with much of this also having been affected by late and un-seasonal rainfall. Despite the increasing temperatures in the north of the State Midland’s yarding continued to contain very solid supplies of ex-pastoral cattle. Total saleyard numbers remained very solid with Midland and the Great Southern the largest on the major sale centres. There was a marginal increase in the supplies of heavy weight steers with the majority sourced from the Great Southern’s draw area, while yearling trade weight supplies remained solid. New season vealer volumes were recorded at slightly increased levels, while cow supplies were very healthy as were both pastoral and locally bred lightweight bulls. Trade competition remained selective with a reasonable live export interest realised. Heavy weight cow values recede Despite an increase in heavier calf numbers the vast majority of vealers in saleyards continued to be of medium and lightweight. Trade demand remained unchanged on heavier drafts of steer and heifer vealers, while the higher values paid over the past couple of weeks from the feeder sector were maintained on medium and heavier drafts. Lightweight sales continued firmly also with a similar restocker demand recorded. The quality of finished yearling trade weight steers and heifers remained reasonable. Local trade demand remained constant, but the steer market was buoyed by an increase in live export activity which did add a slight increase on these averages. The volumes of store yearling cattle were again very limited and subsequently a buoyant demand was recorded from both feeders and restockers. Heavy weight steers and bullocks enjoyed a more active interest from the local and export trades, while the very small volumes of heavy weight heifers again made quoting difficult. The strong supplies of heavy weight cows encountered another weaker trade competition which saw a further 2 to 3c/kg lwt lowering in values, while lightweight and medium weight Bos Indicus pastoral cows received a stronger export feeder that created dearer values
|