Two lines of EU-eligible backgrounder steers from Abingdon NSW sold well on Friday. This run of 63 Shorthorn steers 354kg at 11-13 months made 423c/kg or $1500 a head, while another 47 Angus x Shorthorn half-brothers, same weight and age, made 422c/kg.

MOST heifer categories showed an improving price trend while young steer categories were mixed in AuctionsPlus trading last week.

Commercial cattle numbers fell 23pc, with the reduced yarding of 10,544 head producing a clearance of 76pc.

There were very few light steers and heifers offered, with those categories also experiencing average price decreases.

Breeding stock largely recorded an upswing in per head prices, particularly PTIC and SM heifers, even with low clearances.

Queensland halved the number of cattle it offered this week and buyers from the state also purchased about 1000 less head compared to the previous week.

Steers 200-280kg lifted 9c/kg in average price last week to average 457c/kg, producing at83pc clearance of an offering of 1200 head.

Steers 280-330 lifted 8c to average 423c, clearing 83pc of an offering of 1328 head.

Heavy feeders +400kg slipped 18c/kg to average 389c/kg. That’s an on-property price, of course, with delivery freight to come. Offering numbers were low at 376c, but still managed to clear only 61pc.

Two lines of EU-eligible backgrounder steers from Abingdon NSW sold well. A run of 63 Shorthorn steers 354kg at 11-13 months made 423c/kg or $1500 a head, while another 47 Angus x Shorthorn half-brothers, same weight and age, made 422c/kg.

From Mendooran, NSW, 45 Angus steers 11-13 months averaging 393kg returned $1530/head, or 390c/kg and will travel to a buyer near Bodangora, NSW.

Amongst the heifer offerings, heifers 280-330kg slipped 10c/kg to average 349c, with the offering of 1608 head clearing 89pc. Lighter heifers 200-280kg saw an offering of 1000 head clear 75pc, with prices lifting 28c to average 371c.

A line of 28 Angus heifers 12-13 months averaging 373kg from Coonamble NSW returned $1340/head, or 359c/kg and will travel to a buyer near Inverell, NSW.

Breeding cattle offerings were light-on for numbers, with the largest category, NSM cows and calves, offering just 611 head, but clearing only 68pc. Prices fell $182/pair to average $2204.

An offering of 405 station-mated heifers cleared only 48pc, with prices averaging $1486. From Murrindindi, Victoria, a line of one Angus cows aged five years old and weighing 604kg returned $2500/head, or 414c/kg, and will travel to a buyer near Camperdown, Victoria.

Source: AuctionsPlus