Among larger heifer lines offered this week were these 141 EU-eligible NSM Santa heifers 414kg at 16-19 months from Tambo in Western Queensland that made 516c/kg or $2140.

All ten young steer and heifer weight categories showed big c/kg rises on AuctionsPlus this week, following the broader market trend evident since the middle of May.

All but one steer or heifer category cleared 95-100pc of their offerings this week, reflecting the sharp rise in restocker demand. The only outlier was feeder steers +400kg, which cleared only 77pc of a small offering of 168 head, while prices surged by 63c/kg to average 547c.

Cattle listing numbers nudged one percent higher again this week, reaching 11,986 head. Across all segments, clearance was steady at 94pc.

Buying interest was broad-based, with 99pc of offered lots attracting bids nationally, pointing to strong interstate competition across all categories. QLD cattle drew significant attention from buyers outside the state given the volume and full clearance results across steers and heifers. NSW buyers were also active, particularly in the mid-weight steer and heifer categories where competition was keenest given the depth of supply from both QLD and VIC.

Steers were the standout category, with 4804 head offered and near-complete clearance across most weight ranges.

Steers 200-280kg and 280-330kg were the biggest movers by volume, with 1937 and 1476 head offered respectively, both clearing at 99-100pc. The 200-280kg steers averaged 605c/kg, lifting 34c, while the 280-330kg steers averaged 602c/kg, a rise of 41c.

Steers lighter than 200kg offered only 403 head, but cleared the lot, with prices averaging 52c higher at 689c/kg.

Heavier 330-400kg steers averaged 571c (+33c) while clearing all 820 head offered.

Heifers performed strongly across the board, with 3672 head offered and near-complete clearance.

The biggest offering of heifers 200-280kg attracted 1269 head, clearing 99pc, with prices averaging 24c higher than last week at 525c. Lightweight heifers less than 200kg saw only 724 yarded, clearing 99pc, while prices jumped 117c to average 596c/kg.

Mid-weight 280-330kg heifers averaged 511c (+61c), while the 330-400kg group was the softest in percentage terms, liftin g just 5c to average 457c. Heavy heifers 400kg-plus recovered well, averaging 507c (+77c) for a 98pc clearance.

Among larger heifer lines offered this week, 141 EU-eligible NSM Santa heifers 414kg at 16-19 months from Tambo in Western Queensland made 516c/kg or $2140, while 124 NSM Droughtmaster heifers 369kg at 10-15 months from Roma in southern Queensland made 474c/kg or $1750.

Breeding females

Breeding females attracted solid interest across most categories, with 3133 head offered and an overall clearance of 81pc.

SM cows were the best-supported of the single categories, with 954 head offered at 82pc clearance and an average of $2343, up $315 on the previous week. PTIC cows saw 603 head offered at 79pc clearance, averaging $2367 (+$155).

SM heifers and PTIC heifers were the weak points, with SM heifers slipping $115 to $2141 on a 72pc clearance and PTIC heifers easing $76 to $1975/head on 85pc clearance.

Cow and calf units were well sought, with SM cows and calves clearing entirely at $2564/pair (+$392) and NSM cows and calves averaging $3218/pair (+$513) on a 63pc clearance.

Queensland was the dominant supply state this week, contributing the largest portion of the national offering across steers, heifers and breeding stock. QLD steer categories ranging 200-330kg were heavily represented, with 1013 head in the 200-280kg bracket and 422 head in the 280-330kg bracket clearing at 100pc.

QLD heifer supply was similarly strong, with the 200-280kg and 0-200kg categories each offering more than 500 head at full clearance.

NSW was the second-largest contributor, with the 280-330kg and 200-280kg steer categories the most heavily supplied at 789 and 685 head respectively. NSW breeding stock supply was notable, with 720 SM cows offered (76pc clearance) and 386 PTIC cows (90pc clearance) alongside 454 SM heifers (78pc).

Victoria contributed across all categories, with steers particularly well represented in the 330-400kg and 280-330kg weights at 314 and 240 head respectively, all clearing fully. VIC heifer supply was thinner, with mixed clearance in the lighter categories.

Source: AuctionsPlus