With the continuing dry conditions numbers keep rising with numbers lifting by 760 for a yarding of 5160.

The quality of the yarding is really showing the effects of the dry conditions with only a limited selection of prime cattle in all sections. A fair percentage of the yarding was plainer conditioned cows and young calves mostly in store condition with a fair percentage of the yarding sourced from the far west. There were consignments Cobar, Coonamble, Broken Hill, Wanaaring, Coolabah. Girilambone. Hungerford, Alice Springs and local districts. Not all the regular buyers were operating with the absence of some feeder buyers.

NLRS advises the few young cattle to the trade were around firm with vealers selling from 268c to 299c/kg. Prime steer yearlings sold from 260c to 270c while the few prime heifer yearlings to the trade sold from 250c to 261c/kg.

With the absence of some of the regular buyers feeder steers were 5c cheaper while the feeder heifers were 8c to 12c/kg easier. Feeder steers sold from 240c to 296c with the large number over 400kg averaging 278c while the lighter weights averaged 281c/kg. The feeder heifers sold from 228c to 270c with the majority which weighed between 280kg and 330kg averaging 254c/kg.

Young restocker calves continue to sell to strong competition as growers offload their grown cattle and replace them with the easier to look after weaners. Young steers to the restockers sold from 275c to 378c with the lightweights less than 200kg averaging 355c and the heavier weights weighing between 200kg and 280kg averaging 311c/kg. Young heifers going back to the paddock sold from 267c to 316c/kg.

With all the major export processors operating grown steers finished firm to 3c dearer with the prime medium and heavy weights selling from 237c to 267c with the medium weights weighing between 500kg and 600kg averaging 260c/kg. Export weight feeder steers were cheaper selling from 230c to 293c/kg. In contrast to the grown steers grown heifers to the processors were 7c cheaper with the heavier weights selling from 210c to 235c to average 227c/kg.

Prime heavy weight cows were 5c cheaper while the plainer conditioned cows were up to 12c/kg cheaper. 2 and 3 score cows to the processors sold from 110c to 199c while the prime heavy weight cows sold from 190c to 216c to average 201c/kg. Plainer conditioned cows to the restockers were up to 22c/kg cheaper selling from 136c to 180c/kg.

Bulls finished a little dearer which was quality related with the better muscled heavy weight bulls selling from 212c to 250c to average 239c while young bulls to the restockers sold from 201c to 252c/kg.