SALEYARD prices appear to be meeting an early financial year influx of cattle, with 8000 head sold at Roma yesterday and Dalby agents working through 7000 head today.

Demand for heavy cattle was one of the big talking points among spectators at today’s Dalby cattle sale – with southern processors chasing heavy cattle to handle the journey back down south. At least three southern processor buyers were present at the sale.

Heavy cows also did well at yesterday’s Roma cattle sale, where the extra processor competition was also present. Cows increased by 10-15c/kg to average 320c/kg.

As highlighted in this article yesterday, the yearly shift of heavy cattle from north to south appears to have been exaggerated by the southern drought.

The drought also appears to have had an impact on the feeder market, with one transport operator telling Beef Central they have been taking cattle from Queensland back to feedlots in Southern New South Wales.

Heavy cattle the order of the day

A pen of Droughtmaster bullocks sold for 404c/kg at about $2400/head was one of the early highlights of today’s sale. Selling agent and Ray White Dalby livestock principal David Felsch said the presence of the southern processors had pushed up the price.

“They were bought by one of the main processors that is here all the time, but there was a southern processor there that came in and they locked horns,” he said.

At least three southern processor buyers were actively bidding at Dalby today. Mr Felsch said they had been present over the past four-to-six weeks, which he said was putting a floor in the market.

“It is good to see the competition, I know it is dry down south. Hopefully they stick around for the winter and then hopefully they get a good break of rain down there,” he said.

“Our genuine Queensland buyers, being the bigger processors here, are not competing with them – the southern guys are competing among themselves.

“The cow market has gone from the best of your cows going for 280c/kg, to the best of your cows going for 340c/kg.”

“We have just gone through the change in financial year, some were being held back before the end of June. But the cow job is good and it is a good time to get rid of some cull cows,” he said.

EYCI close to reaching 2025 highs

Young cattle have also been trading strongly in the past fortnight, with the Meat & Livestock Australia’s Eastern Young Cattle Indicator increasing by about 40c in the past fortnight.

The EYCI opened this week at 728c/kg carcase weight, before the addition of yesterday’s Roma cattle sale brought it back down to 722c/kg.

While the full results of today’s Dalby cattle sale were not in by the time of this report, the addition of interim numbers bought it back up to 731c/kg, which is only 3c off its peak this year of 734c/kg.