AuctionsPlus forecasts cattle oversupply
18/03/2002
At electronic livestock auctions last week, Auctions Plus said throughput had only risen slightly, with corrections in just about every category of livestock. Stock had been held back in many regions, hoping for a break in the weather - which had not eventuated - and AuctionsPlus said there would now be some larger scale sell-offs, with this week's physical markets threatening to be oversupplied in central Queensland and northern NSW. Top quality second-cross Limousin steer calves at Tamworth still managed a healthy 212¢/kg liveweight, and Angus steers, weighing 319 kilogram from Blayney, also in NSW, were passed in at 196.9¢/kg liveweight. AuctionsPlus said it was interesting to note the change around in pricing of young female sheep compared to wethers. In the past two years young wethers always outsold ewes by up to $5, however, this situation had turned right around, highlighting the shortage of breeding sheep. A line of 840 Suffolk/Merino lambs, 6-8 months, and weighing about 12 kilograms, at Barcaldine in Qld, made $45.60, and 550 first-cross lambs at Holbrook in NSW, 14.8 kilograms, reached $60, indicating a confidence in the slaughter market. From the Hamilton livestock market in Victoria last Friday, Eddie Smart of the Hamilton Stock Agents Association said that mechanical problems with liveweight scales meant all cattle, apart from bulls were sold by open auction. There was no apparent variation to prices apart from bulls that sold to a selling centre record price of 200¢/kg liveweight, after assessing price variations on the limited information available. Japanese export bullocks sold from $830 to $1,320, heavy beef cows ranged from $760 to $1,095, Korean-young cattle reached a high of $785, while domestic young cattle trended from $560 to $700. There was an increased yarding to 794 head.
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