From Camooweal, northwest QLD, this line of 150 Droughtmaster steers 6-12 months averaging 227kg returned $640/head or 282c/kg, and will travel to a buyer in Rolleston, Central QLD.
LISTINGS slipped ten percent on AuctionsPlus this week, but the smaller offering did not stop further declines in value in most young cattle categories.
Vendors listed 8788 head, with clearance falling to 34pc, as vendors failed to adjust to the declining market.
The number of offerings fell strongly across heavier lines with prices dropping across most categories. There were some price increases seen in breeding stock categories.
Steers 200-280kg registered a smaller offering of 1243 head and averaged 265c/kg, down another 33c/kg on last week, for a 56pc clearance. Prices ranged from 189-337c. From Camooweal, northwest QLD, 150 Droughtmaster steers 6-12 months averaging 227kg returned $640/head or 282c/kg, and will travel to a buyer in Rolleston, QLD.
Steers 280-330kg registered a larger offering of 1416 head and averaged 269c, down another 16c from last week, for a 48pc clearance. Prices ranged from 189-345c.
From Finley, NSW 100 Angus steers 10-12 months averaging 294kg returned $800 or 272c/kg and will travel to a buyer in Trafalgar south, VIC.
Steers 330-400kg averaged 245c this week, down 17c on a week earlier.
An offering of 731 heifers in the 200-280kg weight category averaged 182c/kg, down 42c/kg on last week.
Heifers 280-330kg registered a smaller offering of 950 head and averaged $667 or 216c/kg, down $105 or 36c/kg from last week for a 29pc clearance. Prices ranged from 127- 272c.
A line of 44 Angus heifers 12-13 months averaging 312kg from Armidale, NSW returned $560 or 179c/kg and will travel to a buyer in Armidale, NSW.
Heifers 330-400kg registered a smaller offering of 642 head and averaged 241c/kg, up 13c from the previous week’s worse result, for a 17pc clearance. Prices ranged from 181-277c.
A line of 36 Angus heifers offered in two lots, aged 11-12 months averaging 381kg from Henty, NSW returned $950 or 250c and 252c/kg and will travel to the same buyer in Wagga Wagga, NSW.
Breeding females
NSM cows & calves registered a larger offering of 690 head and averaged $1173/pair – down $5 from last week for a 31pc clearance.
From Cassilis, NSW 30 Angus cows six years averaging 584kg returned $1200/head and will travel to a buyer in Inverell, NSW.
A catalogue offering of 517 PTIC heifers averaged $1262, up $81 from last week.
Prices as at 2pm Friday, 22 September.
Source: AuctionsPlus
A bit of a mystery why there is so little positive thinking in the producer side of the industry right now. Panic sales are not going to help prices. In fact I think prices will not rise until processors are forced to raise the prices they pay, and they are not going to raise prices until people stop panic selling to them. It is not unlike 2013 again where world beef prices were sky high and processors were flooded with cattle because of the live export ban and dry weather so the price dropped to what they were paying in around 2000, except now there is no drought or ban on live export, just producer sentiment and a bit of a dry spell.
Or even for a few weeks last year when the Indonesian FMD situation caused a flood of cattle to the market for a few weeks causing a short term drop, until cooler heads came to bare.
I have already read some predictions of a La Nina for later next year, although take it with a grain of salt.
Paul, I think the mystery runs deeper than the processor . Don’t forget their input costs have skyrocketed. Energy and insurance are taking huge amounts of processor margin. On top of that, they have limited labour and are struggling to increase their kill roster to cope with the demand. Wholesale beef prices have plummeted and consumer spending continues to decrease. Chinas economy is in freefall. They are our biggest consumer by a long shot.
Presently the processors will be laughing all the way to the bank. Last year, feedlots were paying almost $8 a kg for stock, now many of their rates are under $3/kg. Don’t talk of sky rocketing prices for the processors. What about costs for the producer? This time last year, eye fillet steak was $60/kg in the supermarket and butcher. Guess what the price still is? Yep, $60/kg.
Winter rain ruend a lot of grass this year ?