Markets

Wagga sale 10 Aug 2015: Cold conditions bite

Leann Dax, 11/08/2015

As the cold conditions continue to bite numbers remained steady yesterday at Wagga, with 3345 cattle offered. Prices did fluctuate during the sale depending on quality, with trade lines and unfinished cattle selling up to 13c cheaper.

The one positive trend was good competition for heavy export steers and cows, with supplies of these starting to tighten due to the season.

There were excellent lines of supplementary fed and crop finished steers 500-600kg which sold to steady demand with rates generally unchanged. The better finished steers commanded the better prices with buyers paying to a top price of 366.6c to average 344.9c/kg. Heavy bullocks sold to a cheaper trend of 12c with 6-8 teeth steers dragging the price back. The better conditioned younger bullocks made from 310-342c/kg.

Prices for trade steers and heifers slipped 10c due in part to weaker demand from some major feedlot buyers. The better finished trade heifers made from 300-340c/kg. Trade steers lacked the spirited bidding of previous sales from all sectors, with crop finished and supplementary fed steers selling from 330-355.2c/kg.

Feedlot competition was steady and prices varied as the market progressed. Major feedlot buyers paid premium rates for Angus steers which helped cement a floor in prices. Secondary steers 400-500kg were unchanged making from 305c-344c/kg. The lighter weight portion 330-400kg was a few cents cheaper ranging from 313-343c/kg.

The heifer feeder market didn’t live up to expectations with price easing 13c for the 330-400kg, while no feedlots made purchases of heifers weighing above 400kg. Well-bred heifer lines sold from 280-314c to average 303c/kg.

Restocking weaners were down by 10c/kg as the plainer offering kept some buyers sidelined. Well-bred weaner steers 280-320kg made from 294-326c/kg. Plainer bred steers fell 55c selling from 254-313c to average 266.9c/kg.

It was a varied trend in the cow market with heavy cows lifting 7c while leaner grades sold 1-5c/kg cheaper. Heavy cows made from 274-299c to average 282.9c/kg. Leaner grades were showing the effects of the wintry conditions and they sold from 238-285c/kg. Plainer nondescript cows ranged from 194-229c/kg.

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