With another hot week completed and the day before a public holiday for Australia day numbers were back by 1400 for a yarding of 2420.

It was a plain quality yarding with a large number of secondary cattle showing the effects of the hot dry conditions. Prime cattle in all sections were in limited supply with the exception of cows. The bulk of the cattle were sourced from local districts along with consignments from Broken Hill Bourke and Cobar.

Not all the regular buyers were in attendance resulting in a cheaper market in most sections.

The few young cattle to the trade were 5c cheaper with a small pen of vealers selling for 270c/kg.  The prime steer yearlings sold from 270c to 278c while the prime heifer yearlings sold to 267c/kg.

 In line with all other major centres feeder steers were 12c to 16c/kg cheaper. The lighter feeder heifers were firm while the heavier weight feeder heifers were 7c cheaper. Feeder steers sold from 244c to 306c with the good number of medium weights weighing between 330kg to 400kg averaging 285c while the heavier weights over 400kg averaged 271c/kg. The feeder heifers sold from 238c to 288c with the medium weights averaging 267c/kg.

Young steers to the restockers were a little cheaper selling from 296c to 336c while the young heifers to the restockers sold from 261c to 290c/kg. Limited numbers of steer yearlings suitable for the backgrounders sold from 270c to 306c/kg.

With the return of a major northern export processor a limited selection of grown steers were firm with the prime medium and heavy weights selling from 230c to 263c with the medium weights weighing between 500kg and 600kg averaging 255c/kg. Grown steers to the feeders were 6c to 10c cheaper selling from 230c to 277c/kg. Grown heifers were also firm selling to 254c/kg.

Cows were 8c to 11c cheaper with the plainer 2 scores to the processors selling from 110c to 177c/kg. Plainer conditioned cows to the restockers sold from 140c to 180c while the better 3 and 4 score cows to the processors sold from 150c to 205c with the prime heavy weights averaging 198c/kg.

There was a much better selection of bulls yarded which finished 7c/kg dearer. The better muscled heavy weight bulls sold from 220c to 255c to average 239c/kg. There were good numbers of young bulls to suit the feeders and restockers and they sold from 230c to 278c/kg.