As the weather remains hot and dry numbers lifted this week for a yarding of 4430.

It was a much plainer yarding with a large influence of far western cattle, although there was still a reasonable selection of prime cattle in most sections.

The cattle were sourced from far and wide with consignments coming from Broken Hill, Louth, Wilcannia, Coonamble, Cobar, Coleambally, Packsaddle, Wanaaring, along with a consignment of 500 young cattle from Port Augusta in South Australia.

Most of the regular buyers were in attendance and operating including the return of a northern feedlot operator.

Limited numbers of young cattle to the trade were 3c to 5c cheaper with prime steer vealers selling to 330c while the prime heifer vealers sold from 205c to 314c/kg.

The prime steer yearlings sold from 280c to 318c while the prime heifer yearlings sold to 318c with the heavier weights averaging 291c/kg.

The better quality feeder cattle were 4c dearer however the plainer types lacking quality were a little cheaper. Trade weight feeder steers sold from 280c to 334c with the better heavier weights over 400kg averaging 320c/kg. The feeder heifers sold from 280c to 314c/kg.

As the seasonal conditions continue to worsen there was reduced restocker demand this week with young steers returning to the paddock selling from 313c to 377c with the light weights weighing 200kg to 280kg averaging 343c that price down by 10c/kg. Young heifers to the restockers sold from 310c to 341c/kg.

The properly finished bullocks regained some of the previous weeks fall selling at 7c/kg dearer rates.

The prime conditioned medium and heavy weights sold from 278c to 306c with the medium weights weighing 500kg to 600kg averaging 296c/kg. Export weight feeder steers were up to 8c dearer with the 400kg to 500kg grown steers selling to 323c/kg. Grown heifers also enjoyed a price rise with the tops selling for 294c/kg.

Cows which continue to make up a large percentage of the total numbers were 2c to 5c cheaper. The restockers paid from 193c to 225c while the 2 score cows to the processors sold from 162c to 205c/kg. The better conditioned 3 and 4 score cows sold from 212c to 238c with the 4 score heavy weights averaging 229c/kg. A limited selection of bulls sold at similar rates with the best heavy weights which was a Charolais selling for 267c/kg.