Full carparks give confidence boost at cattle sales

OVER the last couple of weeks we have seen a few more positive steps towards a stronger cattle market with both store and prime markets improving in the big interstate saleyards.

 Last week agents yarded 2,131 store cattle at Powranna and I think it would be fair to say that before the sale there was some nervous vendors and agents.

 But with a full carpark and many faces in the crowd not seen for a long time, prices were fully firm to a bit dearer than the January sale and in fact was near enough to the dearest sale in Eastern Australia compared with the other big store sales in Victoria, South Australia and NSW.

 All competition came from local Tasmanian buyers and certainly puts some confidence into the job coming up to the autumn weaner sales which start next week and run through till April.

 At Powranna the heavy yearling steers made $1,360 to $1,840 (350c to 390c/kg live), medium $1,200 to $1,400, heavy yearling heifers $1,260 to $1,540 and medium weights $1,020 to $1,380 (300c).

 Heavy weaner steers (330 + kg) made $1,000 to $1,700 (380c), medium (280- 330 kg) $1,000 to $1,380 (400c) and smaller $660 to $1,220 (412c).

 Heavy heifer weaners made $1,060 to $1,270 (335c), medium $700 to $1,160 (325c) and smaller $700 to $1,080 (325c).

 In the major prime markets of Wagga and Mortlake on Monday trade cattle improved 15c to 25c with best vealers making 334c to 388c and trade yearlings 330c to 370c.

 At Wagga, grown steers made 330c to 372c and well finished bullocks 355c to 392c.

 It is a fair while since we have seen bullocks at those prices.

 Cow also improved significantly and at Wagga the best heavy cows made 290c to 316c and at Mortlake 300c to 338c while leaner and smaller 250c to 310c/kg liveweight.

 The season in much of Queensland and Northern NSW is very good and so the store demand from up there is strong and some Northern processors are having to head south for cattle.

 The other big player is the feeder market with last year’s figure showing that 2024 was the all-time largest year for grain-fed beef with 3,140,026 cattle finished in registered feedlots.

 Now all that is needed is a good autumn break over the next few weeks