Among larger offerings on Friday were these 250 Angus x Shorthorn (some second cross) and straight Shorthorn weaners, 10-11 months out of Hillston in the NSW Riverina. In the steer portion, two lines totalling 125 head averaging 311kg and 296kg averaged 414c/kg, while another 125 heifer sisters averaging 287kg and 265kg (crossbreds carrying heterosis heavier in both cases) averaged 338c/kg and 332c/kg. Click on image for a larger view

MAY young cattle disposals across eastern Australia have started with a bang, with Friday’s AuctionsPlus cattle offering hitting just over 27,000 head – the largest catalogue seen in five years, since the tail end of the drought in 2020.

In fact the yarding was the third highest on record for Elders and Nutrien’s digital marketing platform. Only the first two weeks of March 2020 posted bigger numbers, at 30,669 and 28,787 head.

Easter and ANZAC Day holidays no doubt were a factor.

The big surge in listings last week saw some individual steers categories offering up to 5600 head, and heifer categories 3400 head.

Despite the volume on offer, steer prices generally lifted, especially for medium and heavier lines, while heifer prices and breeding females showed mixed results. The large surge in offering impacted clearance, which dropped from 87pc the previous week to 58pc for the week ended Friday.

The surge among the weaner and yearlings was driven by steers, where numbers were up 203pc week-on-week, with heifers lifting by 129pc. Most of the increase came from lighter to medium-weight lines.

Listings rose across all regions. While short weeks may have played a part, worsening drought in the south is the bigger driver. The Riverina region listed just shy of 5000 head—up 358pc on last week.

Most NSW regions more than doubled their listings from the previous week. Queensland saw similar listings to last week.

Steers recorded the strongest clearance rates, with the heavier categories recording the largest price lifts week-on week, including +400kg steers lifting 34c/kg to average 429c (virtually all line straight Angus), clearing 96pc of a small offering of 315 head.

Steers 330-400kg lifted 10c to average 420c/kg, clearing 73pc of an offering of almost 2000 head. Medium weights 280-330kg cleared 70pc of a huge offering of 4200 head, advancing 11c to average 446c.

Steer highlights included 51 Angus steers 8-9 months averaging 273kg from Dunedoo, NSW returning $1380/head or 505c/kg, travelling to a buyer near Mudgee, NSW.

Heifers 330-400kg had an 85pc clearance of an offering of 1000 head, lifting 26c/kg to averaher 375c. A large offering of 3400 heifers 200-280kg struggled to clear just 40pc, with prices back 10c/kg to average 354c. From Warwick, Queensland, 25 Speckle Park heifers 4-12 months averaging 121kg returned 540c/kg and will travel to a buyer in Greenmount, Queensland

Large offerings

Some very large offerings were seen in Friday’s weekly Eastern States cattle sale (7700 head), and the northern (8300 head) and southern (10,800 head) weaner and yearling sales.

In the south, there was a strong weaned steer and heifer presence out of the NSW Riverina, totalling almost 2000 head. They included 250 Angus x Shorthorn (some second cross) and straight Shorthorn weaners, 10-11 months out of Hillston in the NSW Riverina. In the steer portion, two lines totalling 125 head averaging 311kg and 296kg averaged 414c/kg, while another 125 heifer sisters averaging 287kg and 265kg (crossbreds carrying heterosis heavier in both cases) averaged 338c/kg and 332c/kg.

Also in the Riverina, 240 Angus weaned steers 299kg at 6-8 months out of the Hay district made 428c/kg or $1279/head, while a further 240 heifer sisters 279kg made 359c/kg or $1000.

Further south, 252 weaned Angus steers out of Mundarlo on the NSW southwest slopes and plains saw the steer portion averaging 216kg at 7-9 months average 449c/kg and the heifer portion averaging 252kg, 444c/kg.

In the corresponding northern weaner and yearling sale, 166 weaned Droughtmaster steers 272kg at 6-16 months out of Boulia in northwest Queensland averaged 444c/kg, while 145 Charolais x weaned steers 262kg at 6-16 months from Winton, northwest Queensland made 469c or $1230.

Among breeding females, PTIC heifers and cows had positive price swings of $250 and $268/head respectively, with clearance rates around 50pc. At the other end of the scale, almost 1000 station-mated cows cleared just 28pc to average $1703, down $302 on the previous week. NSM heifer sand calves fared even worse, down $443 to average $2000, clearing just 30pc.

A line of Red Angus cows 2-3 years averaging 741kg from Arding, NSW, returned $3540/head, or 477c/kg lwt and will travel to a buyer in Collector, NSW.

Source: AuctionsPlus