CATTLE have started to move in big numbers across the east coast of Australia this week, with saleyards, feedlots and processors all having a busy fortnight.
The season is now at somewhat of a tipping point, with many predicting the next two-to-three weeks to be busy – particularly if there is no significant rain.
As Tuesday’s Weekly Kill column pointed out, cattle markets are generally unpredictable until after the Australia Day weekend – which is traditionally decision-making time. This week saw grids and saleyard prices drop in the face the increased supply.
Some areas are starting to dry out and heatwave conditions across Queensland and New South Wales are creating concern. Strong markets to start the year have provided further incentive to sell.
To the contrary, a lot of areas around Qld and Northern NSW have had a big start to the summer, with plenty of feed and the potential for more rain in the coming weeks.
Elders’ Tamworth livestock manager Scott Simshauser said the area was split, with some expecting a busy fortnight and others not so much. He said he was expecting it to be busy.
“It is very dry here, the red country is looking particularly bad and some of the heavier black country has held a bit better,” he said.
More than 6000 head are booked in for an Elders feature sale at the Tamworth saleyards next week, which Mr Simshauser said was significant for the area.
“We have had a good couple of years here and people have been able to breed up a bit. I haven’t as many good quality cattle as what are around at the moment for a long time,” he said.
More expected from Western Qld
Another that is starting to lighten off is the central west of Queensland.
According to the National Livestock Reporting Service, yesterday’s Dalby Cattle sale had more than 1700 head coming in from Western Queensland. GDL Blackall manager Jack Burgess had one consignment of 570 mixed sex weaners and another of 240 head.
The 570 head were listed by Williams Pastoral of Jericho, which included 260 Angus/Simmental steers and 300 Brangus heifers. The lead of the steers sold to a top 440c/kg at 216kg and the lead of the heifers sold to 408c/kg, at 257kg.
Jodie Muntelwit of Lara station at Barcaldine had the 240 Angus/Santa mixed sex weaners. The lead of the steers sold to 436c/kg at 326kg and the heifers sold to a top of 336c/kg at 307kg.
While the lead of the consignments fetched strong prices, average prices at most sales decreased – which was reflected by the benchmark Eastern Young Cattle Indicator dropping 29c since the end of last week.
Asked whether he was happy with the way the sales panned out, Mr Burgess said he thought it was a strong sale considering the large numbers of cattle.
“It showed that good quality cattle are still selling well, but when they are slightly out of condition or out of spec we are seeing big discounts,” he said.
Mr Burgess said much of the central west of Qld had a good start to the season until the middle of December, which grew plenty of feed, before a month of hot weather kicked in and dried it out.
He said he was expecting to list some more big runs of cattle in the coming two-to-three weeks before numbers taper off.
“It is just our annual turn-off of weaners that are coming through the saleyards at the moment,” Mr Burgess said.
“The other factor is rain, if we get some rain in the next couple of weeks then I would expect to see numbers go right down.”
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