FEEDER cattle prices have remained steady this week as winter has well and truly wound up and many are looking to see what the northern wet season might bring.

JBS, Beef City, Purrawunda QLD

According to feedlot buyers Beef Central spoke with this morning, paddock prices for 400kg+ flatback steers have been steady for the past month between 355c/kg and 360c. Angus feeders out of the paddock are being quoted between 375c and 380c.

Meat & Livestock Australia’s feeder steer indicator, a rolling average of saleyard prices, opened this week at 338c. 400kg+ feeders were making 348c in Queensland, 338c in New South Wales, 324c in South Australia and Victoria and 299c in Western Australia.

There is a feeling that if there is no rain in the next month there could be significant numbers of cattle come onto the market before Christmas. On the flip side, a good early break could restrict numbers.

Storms have been around in Western Qld, but not much rain has fallen and plenty of fires have been lighting off the back them. A lot of country has burnt south of Cloncurry and fires are still active from Pentland/Torrens Creek and north to Cape York.

Beef Central understands the fires have not had a material impact on the feeder cattle market.

The Bureau of Meteorology is forecasting rain over the next eight days through the Northern Territory and Queensland.

Western New South Wales is another area that is evidently looking for rain, with warmer weather coming in over the past month and largely finishing up what has been a bumper season for oats crops and clover.

As Beef Central’s last feeder cattle market report pointed out the gap between Angus feeders and general flatback steers has narrowed in the past month – with the seasonal turn-off from NSW playing a part.

• For numbers of cattle on feed, Beef Central is anticipating the September quarterly feedlot survey will be released this week.