Yarding 3060 Change 1785

All sections were dearer in a much better-quality yarding on a day that could only be described as dreadful with hot gusty winds and a genuine solid dust storm.

Numbers lifted by almost 1800 for a yarding of 3060.

It was a much better-quality yarding with some very good young cattle to suit both the feeders and processors along with a smaller percentage of plainer types. There were some excellent grown steers and heifers yarded along with good numbers of cows to suit both the processors and restockers. There were also good numbers of young calves as several growers are still finding it necessary to offload due to the lack of feed and water.

With between only 10mm and 80mm of very patchy storm rain over the past week the drought is far from over particularly considering the amount of Summer still to come. All the regular buyers were in attendance and operating along with an additional northern processor who was operating on the better finished young trade cattle.

MLA advises the better selection of young cattle to the trade were 7c to 13c dearer with the steer vealers selling to 292c while prime heifer vealers sold from 270c to 285c/kg. The prime steer yearlings sold from 290c to 316c while the prime heifer yearlings sold from 270c to 295c/kg.

Feeder cattle were 13c to 17c dearer with the feeder steers selling from 288c to 328c with the light and medium weights averaging around 305c while the heavy weights over 400kg averaged 316c/kg. The feeder heifers sold from 270c to 296c with the good numbers of medium weights averaging 289c while the heavy weights averaged 290c compared to the previous sales averages of 272c and 282c/kg.

There were much smaller numbers of young cattle suitable for the restockers except for the bobby calves. The few young cattle to the restockers were 15c to 20c dearer with the young steers selling from 255c to 332c which was paid for very good quality Angus calves. The young restocker heifers sold from 220c to 300c/kg with the top price hear also being paid for quality Angus heifers. Bobby calves to both the processors and restockers were all cheaper with limited orders from restockers. Young bobby calves to the processors sold from 242c to 280c while the restockers paid from 50c to 236c/kg.

There was solid support from the two major northern processors on the better selection of prime grown steers and heifers. Grown steers were 9c dearer with the prime medium and heavy weights selling from 291c to 320c/kg. There were fair numbers of grown steers sold to the feeders who paid from 293c to 315c/kg. The grown heifers were firm to 5c dearer selling from 262c to 298c with the heavy weights averaging 286c/kg. Once again there were good numbers of grown heifers in store condition which sold to the restockers ranging from 150c to 249c/kg.

Cows to the processors were 3c to 7c/kg dearer with most of the solid support coming from northern processors. The southern cow buyers were operating but found it difficult to keep pace with the northern operators. 2 score cows sold from 150c to 226c to average 188c while the 3 and 4 score cows sold from 210c to 262c with the prime heavy weights averaging 251c/kg. Most of the cows to the restockers were cheaper with only limited support from mostly southern buyers. Cows to the restockers sold from 78c to 214c/kg.

Bulls finished a couple of cents cheaper with the better heavy weight bulls selling from 248 to 287c/kg.

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