Part of a line of 104 PTIC Angus heifers from Beardy Plains, Glen Innes, this offering of 53 heifers averaging 433kg at 19-21 months made 831.4c/kg on Friday. They were PTIC to Angus bulls, due to calve from mid-February.

Prices received for cattle in online trading during the first weeks of 2022 have continued to challenge record levels, reflected in sales from central Queensland through to the scorching hot returns registered at January Victorian weaner sales.

For buyers, the purchase price pain continues unabated, with ‘digging deeper into the pockets; likely to be a frequent occurrence during early sales.

The desire and willingness to pay for accelerated herd growth continues unabated into early 2022, early season results suggest.

There was a significant jump in the number of cattle offered through AuctionsPlus sales this week, with 15,684 head offered across the three main commercial sales, up 42pc on the same week last year.

Prices were higher across some breeding categories, with PTIC cows and station-mated heifers kicking up to a new level, in c/kg terms.

The recent seasonal outlook from BOM continues to underpin the extraordinary confidence within the industry, with forecasts next week for a return to wet conditions across a large swathe of northern and eastern Australia. Patchy storms throughout the past week saw some heavy falls through some regions of eastern Australia, especially through already saturated parts of central and southern NSW.

The three lightest young steer categories showed moderate to large c/kg rises this week, absorbing the higher supplies offered both through the online market and at various physical markets.

Light steers less than 200kg, while limited in number to 458 head, rose 50c/kg to average 705c, while the highly desired 200-280kg category registered an 89pc clearance rate for 1580 head offered, with prices lifting 18c on last week to average 747c. The medium weight 280-330kg steers edged 3c higher to average 681c, while the 330-400kg cattle averaged 1c lower at 614c.

Heavy feeder steers dropped 32c on heavier supply this week to average 550c. The clearance rate for the category also slipped, finishing the sale at 64pc for the 1295 head offered.

Among the young heifer offerings, examples 200-280kg averaged 10c/kg higher at 657c, with a 98pc clearance rate for the 934 head offered. After the sharp jump the previous week, the 280-330kg heifers fell 91c/kg this week to average 626c. A small offering of the lightest heifers less than 200kg rose 211c to average 917c this week, while the 330-400kg category was unchanged, averaging 588c. This has opened one of the largest weekly differentials with PTIC heifers on record, at $1192/head.

Heavy heifers +400kg were down 55c this week to average 524c.

Breeding cattle

Some joined female lines moved higher this week, with station-mated heifers lifting 157c for a small offering of 306 head. PTIC heifers were easily the largest online category for the week, the 2499 head offered, selling to an 80pc clearance. Prices slipped 24c to average 664c/kg, or $3310. Within that group PTIC Angus lines, which made up 61pc of the category, sold to a 92pc clearance, and averaged slightly higher at $3462.

PTIC cows were also dearer this week, up $374 on last week, to average $3039.

Larger lines offered this week included a line of 104 PTIC Angus heifers from Beardy Plains, Glen Innes, averaging 433kg at 19-21 months, which made 831.4c/kg on Friday. They were PTIC to Angus bulls, due to calve from mid-February.

Another run of around 140 mixed PTIC heifers from Tamworth NSW, mostly Angus with a couple of pens of Rolleston (Central QLD) bred Santas, 18-22 months ranging in pen average from 524kg to 458kg, made from 667c to 742c/kg for a couple of heavier Santa lots.

Source: AuctionsPlus