SOLID inflows of slaughter cattle continue to come forward in Queensland this week, as some uneasiness is evident about potential impact on Thursday or Friday from Cyclone Alfred – currently sitting about 450km off the southern Qld coast.

One large multi-site export processor in the northern state has suspended direct consignment quotes this week, but is still accepting space bookings (unpriced). That’s the first time we’ve seen grids from a significant operator suspended this year.

The decision was entirely due to existing forward bookings, now well into March at some company plants, and in their case had nothing to do with any cyclone impact, Beef Central was told.

Other Queensland processors still have active priced quotes in front of vendors, but have left grids unchanged this week, after some rises of 10-20c/kg a week earlier. Representative quotes seen this morning for plants in the state’s southern region have heavy cows 560-580c/kg, and heavy grass four-tooth steer on 640-650c/kg. Some operators have 10c/kg more for steer with no HGP.

Central Queensland plants are mostly 10c/kg behind those rates.

At least one Queensland processor has made arrangements to delay stock transport to his company’s southeast Queensland plant out of Central Queensland for a couple of days, as part of cyclone watch. His plan is to supplement kills with a few extra grainfeds from nearby downs feedlots to make up the shortfall.

Further south, there appears to be few changes in grids this week with offers in Southern NSW this morning on heavy cows at 590c/kg and grass steers 670c, while eastern regions of South Australia having offers this week of 620c/kg on cows and 670c/kg on four-tooth grass ox.

Softer undertone through saleyards

There was a softer undertone in slaughter cattle prices in saleyards fixtures held yesterday and this morning across eastern Australia.

Gunnedah sale yarded 2400 this morning. Cows bore the brunt of considerably cheaper trends of up to 30c/kg for that category. Heavy feeders gained 13c/kg and averaged 323c/kg. Heavy cows sold from 270-289c/kg.

Wodonga yarded 1700 this morning, almost half of which were cows. Quality was fair with only limited numbers of well finished trade types. Domestic and export buyers were subdued and not prepared to push the market. Heavy steers averaged 328c/kg with the pick topping at 378c/kg. Bullocks sold to a larger group of buyers to average 340c/kg. A large offering of cows met with weak demand over all classes. Heavy descriptions sold 41c cheaper trading from 272-310c/kg, while the leaner types slipped 22-29c/kg.

Roma sale this morning was quoted by cattle buyer contacts as slightly cheaper in places, with some bullocks 20c/kg cheaper, but no official interim report was available by the time this item was posted, Full report tomorrow.

Yesterday’s Labour Day holidays in some states has delayed the issuance of last week’s national weekly slaughter report. A summary will be added here when it arrives.

Expect to see some references to limitation in slaughter capacity in processing as a key factor for the year ahead in MLA’s annual beef industry projections document being released on Monday, as discussed in previous weekly kill reports.