19 November 2010

11 minute read

Oceania

QLD weekly cattle summary

The supply of stock at early week markets experienced very little change, however a return to rain across the Maranoa region reduced numbers at the Roma store sale. There was no rain locally at Dalby nevertheless the useful falls of rain in some of the supply areas severely reduced numbers, and this combined with no sale at Longreach saw supply at physical markets covered by MLA’s NLRS drop 42 per cent.

All of the major export buyers were present and operating at most markets plus the usual feeder operators, restockers and trade buyers. Values increased across a number of classes with calf and veal prices improving 6¢ to 10¢, and the strong support also flowed on to the slaughter grades of lightweight yearling heifers and average prices gained 8¢/kg. Restockers and feeder operators also remained very active in the market and by mid week the generally short supply had feeder operators lifted the buying rates on medium and heavy weight classes of yearling steers by 5¢/kg. Yearling heifers to feed also enjoyed increased buyer demand and a fair sample of medium weights averaged around 10¢/kg better.

The extra processor competition on export slaughter grades of heavy steers and bullocks improved average prices by 3¢ to 6¢/kg. Full mouth bullocks also attracted strong buyer support with average prices only around 7¢/kg cheaper than the younger grades. Plain condition cows increased further in value and a combination of a stronger enquiry from restockers and improved demand from processors lifted values at some centres by 10¢/kg as processors seek the leaner grades.

Calves to the trade averaged 6¢ dearer at 216¢ with sales to 234.2¢, and the occasional light calf returned to the paddock at 251.2¢/kg. A short supply of vealer steers generally sold around 202¢ to 204¢/kg. A good supply of vealer heifers sold to the trade 8¢ dearer at 210¢ with some to 232.2¢/kg. Lightweight yearling steers returning to the paddock mostly sold around 215¢ with sales to 234.2¢/kg. Medium weight grades to feed averaged 5¢ better at 196¢ and heavy grades lifted a similar amount to 191¢/kg. Lightweight yearling heifers to local and southern processors averaged 8¢ dearer at 208¢ and sold to 224.2¢, while feeder and restocker grades averaged 192¢/kg. Medium weight yearling heifers to the trade lifted by 5¢ to 187¢ and sold to 209¢/kg.

Medium weight grown steers to feed averaged 177¢ and made to 190.2¢/kg. Heavy steers to export slaughter sold around 182¢ and good heavy bullocks averaged 6¢ dearer at 184¢ with some supplementary fed grades reaching 192.6¢/kg. Full mouth bullocks made 167¢ and sold to 182.2¢/kg. Medium weight 2 score cows to processors averaged 126¢ and 3 scores lifted 4¢ at close to 140¢/kg. Heavy 4 score cows mostly sold around 154¢ with the occasional sale to 168.2¢/kg.

WA weekly cattle summary

Temperatures across the state have risen sharply with the southern parts of the state recording very hot levels reached by the end of the week. Conditions were again fine and dry with no rain and little or no damage or benefit from the reasonable rainfall of the previous week. Conditions in the north of the state, throughout the Murchison, Gascoyne and Pilbarra regions remain in severe drought, while further south harvest is now in full swing.

Crops yields have been well below average across the Agricultural regions and this will have an effect on feed grain prices. Paddock feed remains tight and this continues to stimulate the turn off of cattle with most producers having to move their stock at least a month to six weeks earlier than would normally be the case in an average year.

Consequently all weekly markets received very good numbers with this week marking the beginning of the two day sales format at Mt Barker. Vealer supplies continued to be very high and this trend will continue at least until the end of January next year. As has been the case in recent times there were only limited supplies of prime trade and heavy weight steers, bullocks and mature heifers available.

Cow supplies remain healthy with producers selling any surplus stock in an endeavour to maximise the tight feed conditions that they find themselves in this year. The strong turnoff of cows this spring has some in industry speculating this will trim supply in the New Year.

There were very large numbers of vealers and cows penned in physical markets. Despite the majority being light and medium weights there were increased volumes of heavy weight drafts available. Demand from the feeder and restocker sectors, from both local and eastern states areas, continued at very solid levels with large numbers continuing to be trucked out of the state. Mt Barker started its Thursday sale with this once again sold on a non-curfew basis and this did reflect slightly lower rates than the sale the previous week. The limited numbers of grass finished trade weight yearling steers and heifer continued to see solid demand from the processing and feeder sectors with the market seeing values maintained in both sexes.

The limited numbers of export weight steers, bullocks and heifer again made quoting difficult despite a firm trade demand having been recorded. There were fewer supplies of heavy prime cows available this week despite the large total numbers. Demand for these eased slightly despite a good contingent of trade buyers operational in the market place. Restocker demand for store and plain cows remains relatively firm and similar to the previous week.

SA weekly cattle summary

Mt. Gambier’s export cattle Monday sale attracted a larger yarding that sold to a slightly dearer trend, even though not all of the regular buyers were operating.

There were reduced numbers at the SA LE in very mixed quality runs that sold to stronger competition from the usual trade, processor and feeder buyers, with the latter very active on lightweight yearling steers and heifers. Small numbers of vealers sold to local butcher and wholesale activity. Yearling steers and heifers made up the majority of the yarding, with some sales dearer and others cheaper. Limited numbers of grown steers, grown heifers and manufacturing steers generally sold at dearer levels, while cow prices tended to fluctuate.

Naracoorte’s numbers fell slightly with good quality runs offered that sold to solid SA and Victorian trade and processor buyers, with one supermarket sourcing prime steers and heifers, and a NSW order also active where quality suited. While the vealer steers and heifers sold at generally lower rates to the trade, feeder and restocker orders were quite active and paid slightly dearer prices. Yearlings were keenly sourced and sold at dearer levels for both categories.

Mt. Gambier’s yarding was almost unchanged and contained some very good quality vealers, yearlings and grown steers that sold at generally dearer levels to the usual buying contingent, with feeder and restocker orders also active. One pen of vealer steers sold at over $1,000/head.

Millicent had a slightly reduced yarding that sold to solid demand from most of the regular buyers.

It has been a fluctuating priced sale week with quality being the main criteria that led to some sales being dearer and others cheaper. Vealer steers to the trade sold from 188¢ to 226¢ on C and B muscled mainly medium and heavyweights at rates unchanged to 3¢ dearer. Feeder and restocker orders sourced C and B muscled light and medium weights from 194¢ to 222¢, with some sales cheaper and others dearer where weights suited. Vealer heifers to the trade sold from 183¢ to 220¢ with lightweights at the higher end to be basically unchanged. Feeder activity on smaller lines were from 187¢ to 202¢kg. Yearling steer C3 and B2 sales were from 167¢ to 208¢ as most sales rose by 7¢ to 10¢/kg for most. Yearling heifers C3 and C4 sales ranged mainly between 160¢ and 195¢ to be 1¢ to 8¢/kg dearer.

Grown steer C3 to C5 sales were generally from 170¢ to 190¢ at rates unchanged to 8¢ dearer, and averaging around 325¢/kg cwt. Cow prices tended to lose ground as most beef D3 to C6 medium and heavyweights sold from 130¢ to 156¢, or 3¢ to 7¢ cheaper, and mainly around 260¢ to 300¢/kg cwt.

VIC weekly cattle summary

A small fall in supply, plus some very good quality, combined to spark a spike in cattle prices. With the exception of Leongatha, and Pakenham, all of other sales reported by MLA’s NLRS were smaller. There are questions being asked if supply will ever get back to more normal levels for this time of year. Producers are happy with the prices being achieved at the moment due to the strong demand created by the shortfall.

A need to put cattle back into paddocks by producers is creating unprecedented prices at store cattle sales, and this tempo is flowing through to prime markets. Another factor influencing prices is the good competition for medium and heavy yearling heifers which are being sought by a supermarket.

If there was any negative trend witnessed it was for the top quality B muscle vealers, which eased 1¢ to 3¢/kg. This prime young beef has been a little harder to sell at the butcher shop, as there is some very good quality boxed beef coming onto the market. The overall higher prices trends have resulted in the EYCI lift 4.25¢ week on week to 372¢/kg cwt.

While young cattle prices increased, so did those of grown cattle. Some of this occurred despite heavy weights, and excessive fat cover, which has had a downward effect of late. Export processors are having a hard time at the present with bullock and cow prices again on the rise combined with sluggish demand, but there may have been some relief from a slight fall in the value of the A$.

The best quality B muscle vealers made up to 228c with a range of 195¢ to 222¢/kg for most sales. There were greater numbers of these vealers available, which may have aided the price reduction. Away from these, other vealers sold well with C muscle vealers making from 172¢ to 215¢ to generally average around 197¢/kg.

Yearling steers and heifers were in good supply, and excellent quality. Supplementary fed yearlings made to 223¢, and most grass finished steers made between 178¢ and 198¢/kg. The strong demand for heifers for the supermarket trade resulted in a top price of 207¢/kg for C muscle heifers, and most sales were between 168¢ and 192¢/kg. Restockers have paid some very good money, paying between 185c and 225¢/kg for a range of cattle, as two pens of Charolais steers at Leongatha weighing over 500kg lwt made 191¢/kg.

Prime bullocks made mostly from 168¢ to 184¢, and grown steers to 187¢/kg. The carcass weight price average for cows was estimated at 296¢, which was primarily due to most cows making from 125¢ to 162¢/kg.

NSW weekly cattle summary

Rain over the state again hampered cattle supply at MLA’s NLRS reported physical markets. The wet conditions caused numbers to fall 20per cent, the only markets to experience an increase in throughput were Inverell and Casino. Gunnedah was reduced by more than 1,200 head while at Armidale only 150 head were offered.

The wet conditions are also making for anxious times for grain growers who are looking for some dry sunny conditions to finish crops off or allow them to get into harvesting.

The seasonal conditions are benefiting cattle though, with the quality at most selling centres good. Young cattle are displaying plenty of weight and condition – 43per cent of yearling steers offered were heavyweights with the majority of them being in 3 score condition. Of the heifer portion 22per cent were heavyweights with another 23per cent medium weight C3’s.

The grown cattle section told a similar story. Heavyweight grown steers accounted for 33per cent of total grown steers where as bullocks made up 34per cent, most of them yarded at Dubbo. In the cow offering 57per cent were heavyweights, mostly 4 scores, while plenty of the medium weights were 3 and 4 scores. Restockers were keen to bid on medium D2 cows, they sold to a top of 156¢ and averaged 143¢/kg.

All the regular buyers were keen and active given the shortage in supply and with some direct consignments unable to be delivered to plants. Restockers continued there fierce bidding and in some cases the price differential between plainer and better bred lines was minimal.

The slip in supply created strong demand across most categories of young and grown cattle. Calves to slaughter reached 264¢ and averaged 248¢ as those to restock averaged 264¢/kg. Lightweight C2 vealer steers to processors gained 4¢ to average 237¢/kg. Those returning to the paddock also sold to a dearer trend to generally sell between 244¢ and 258¢/kg or between $385 and $432/head. Medium weight trade vealers averaged 5¢ dearer to mostly sell around 228¢/kg. Medium vealer heifers sold 4¢ higher at 225¢ after reaching 240¢/kg. Lightweight yearling steers eased 2¢ to average 219¢as medium weights to feed made around 197¢/kg. Heavyweights gained 6¢ to 8¢ with feeders paying 195¢ and processors 191¢/kg. Lightweight heifers to the trade improved 9¢ to sell around 202¢ with those to feed and restock mostly making around 196¢/kg. Medium weights to the processors and feed averaged in the mid 190¢ range with heavyweights to slaughter around 186¢/kg.

Medium weight grown steers to feed averaged 181¢ with processors paying 179¢/kg for heavyweight C3’s. Bullocks gained 2¢ to 5¢ averaging between 177¢ to 181¢/kg depending on fat scores. Medium D3 cows were steady around 142¢ as the heavyweights improved up to 2¢ making between 145¢ and 149¢/kg. Heavyweight bulls reached 179.6¢/kg.

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