This line of 144 Droughtmaster steers 10-13 months averaging 175kg from Longreach, QLD, returned 703c/kg on Friday and will travel to a buyer near Injune, QLD.

STEER categories showed some c/kg price rises, while heifers were mostly down in value in a smaller yarding of 16,753 head on AuctionsPlus this week – the second last sale of the year.

Clearance reduced to 67pc, with some breeding female categories struggling to find buyers.

Steer performance was mixed. Feeder steers +400kg lost 5c/kg to average 498c, with 91pc of the offering of 916 head finding a buyer. Steers 330-400kg produced an offering of 2350 head, clearing 61pc to average 526c, up 15c on the previous week, while steers 280-330kg saw a very large offering of 3284 head, clearing 61pc to average 519c, down 36c on the previous week. Lighter steers 200-280kg were in demand from restockers, clearing 91pc of the offering of 1514 head, with prices up 19c to average 574c.

A line of 144 Droughtmaster steers 10-13 months averaging 175kg from Longreach, QLD, returned 703c/kg and will travel to a buyer near Injune, QLD.

Seventeen Angus steers 9-11 months averaging 254kg from Flowerdale, TAS returned 637c/kg and will travel to a buyer near Western Junction, TAS.

From Merriwa, NSW, 89 Angus steers 8-9 months averaging 224kg returned 626c/kg and will travel to a buyer near Toowoomba, QLD.

Heifer markets mostly headed into negative territory this week.

The exception was heifers 330–400kg which lifted 13c to average 457c, clearing 73pc of the offering of 1357. Heavy heifers +400kg lost 14c to average 441c, clearing 76pc, while heifers 280-330kg lost 20c to average 447c, clearing 62pc of the 1372 offered. The biggest losers were heifers 200-280kg, falling 32c to average 435c, while clearing 90pc of the 1569 offered.

Among larger lines offered this week were 218 Braford weaners 8-12 months from Winton, Northwest Queensland, with the steer portion averaging 310kg making 523c/kg and the heifers averaging 273kg making 432c/kg.

Breeding females

Among breeding females, an offering of 834 PTIC heifers lost $208 a head to average $2426, clearing only 10pc of the offering, while the catalogue of 495 PTIC cows dropped $447 to average $2168, clearing 33pc.

Price improvers included NSM cows and calves, where 471 pairs were offered, clearing 69pc. Prices lifted $246 to average $2705.

Queensland remained the dominant state for both listings and purchasing activity. Southern Queensland led buyer demand, with Dalby and Toowoomba the most active purchasing regions. New South Wales and Victoria continued to contribute solid numbers, though listings eased slightly week-on-week, driving the overall reduction in supply.

Source: AuctionsPlus