Latest cattle market update

“There are a lot of crops that are just about ready to start coming off in the next 2to3 weeks. Very good crops right out past Roma as good as you'll see. So hopefully, the crop will come off without problems and before the storms start.

Cattle numbers through the yards are increasing through QLD with 9,000-11,000 regularly at Roma and Dalby at 6,000-8,000 head.

Prices are holding up very well with any fluctuations mainly just quality driven which means, as far as Queensland goes, a higher proportion of Brahman content cattle in yards.

For example, at Blackall there were some heifers out of the NT, drought master/Santa Cross heifers, 230to250 kgs, made only $2.30to2.50/kg lw, purely quality driven.

“As far as the feedlot side of things goes, crossbreds $4.80to4.85/kg lw on the Downs and southern feedlots buying out of Blackhall at $4.90/kg lw for trucking down through western Queensland into NSW/SouthAustralia.

“Angus feeders holding at $5.30to5.40/kg lw and you can lock that prices in for an end of October delivery.

“We are at that in-between period in Queensland where the winter season has run out of puff, and we are waiting for summer storms to get things going again. Most of Queensland though still has plenty of dry feed, although there are still some very dry spots around Wandoan and Taroom. There is enough subsoil moisture still available that one decent round of widespread storms will get things going again.

“The slaughter cattle market is still holding with processor bookings now down to 2 weeks out from 6to8 weeks. Plenty of cattle moving we had a good start to the spring, but we need some more rain to keep things going. Southern works are keeping plenty of pressure on.

“We are on $6.90 to 7/kg dw for cows direct to works across Central Queensland and $7.50 to 7.60/kg dw on four-tooth bullocks. Weaners are starting to follow the feeder job upwards. You can buy any decent weaners under about $5 to 5.20/kg lw and they're limited in numbers with all the big weaner sales that run from May to August mostly finished for the year, and what’s available now are mainly odd lots.” – Ashley Loveday, Livestock Sales Manager, Queensland.

Source: MLA

“Seems like everything is ticking along ok, supplies look to be gradually improving as the heat encourages some turnoff. Processor demand was a little mixed as Wagga this week, influenced by the short week next week. Expecting cattle prices to taper into years end as end of year feedlot buying winds up and as Queensland numbers rise. Currently fluctuations are tending to be quality and numbers related rather than any change in the price trends. Feeder cattle Blacks $5.30 to 5.40/kg lw, British X $5.20c/kg lw, and coloureds $5 to 5.20/kg lw. Slaughter cattle values direct to works have firmed in-line with paddock sales and yards, heavy steers $8.50/kg dw and cows $7.80/kg dw.

“Grass yearling program cattle $9 to 9.50/kg dw and 100-day grainfed contract cattle $8.50/kg dw for December with $50-1/kg premiums for Angus. Weaners solid around $6 to 7/kg lw with heifers 40 to 70c/kg lw discount to steers.”

Source: MLA

“The cattle side of it is just going along nicely. Cows $8.40 to 8.50/kg dw and your grassfed program cattle $9.20 to 9.30/kg dw.

“Feeder cattle just seem to be strongly competed on wherever they go they are better than $5/kg lw for coloureds and $5.40/kg lw for blacks with EU cattle above this around $5.50/kg lw.

“On the store cattle job if you've got a grass animal that's not a heavyweight its $6/kg plus and over $7/kg for your little blow away cattle.

“Bit of wind around for us last week, sucked a bit of moisture out of the country. Crops look brilliant after being fed up nicely. Grass is probably just a little bit less than fantastic, just ticking along. You can see some little fluffy grass starting to brown off after last week's wind. But down south into the south-east, they're just starting to really appreciate what this Spring is starting to look like.

“But as you go north into the Mallee, it is getting a little bit desperate, and it looks like being another long hard summer for our Riverland and Mallee graziers.” – Laryn Gogel, Livestock Sales Manager, South Australia.

Source: MLA.

“We have had a bit of everything in September, plenty of rain, plenty of wind, plenty of cool weather, bit of snow, bit of growth and a bit of sun, which has set up the northern half of the state quite well for spring.

“Southern half of Tassie is still ordinary, they had 20-30mm over the last month, but prior to that, virtually nothing. So, they are looking down the barrel of an ordinary spring/summer.

“The local cattle job is going along nicely. The top end is sitting around $8.70/kg dw, but I'm hearing reports out of the mainland that those good program yearlings are anywhere up to $9.70/kg dw. Mainland agents came across this last week and pulled probably 600 to 700 cattle out of the state this week purely because obviously they're getting a fair bit more at the other end than what our local processors are getting.

“Last Tuesday we held our blue-ribbon spring sale. It was an Elders standalone feature sale with nearly 1000 good cattle that ticked all the boxes. They sold very well, 350kg type steers and mid weights $4.80 to 5.40/kg lw with the lighter end $5.20 to 5.90/kg with some pushing the mid $6/kg lw.

“On heifers, heavier types on the same evening heavies and medium weights $4.50 to $5.10/kg lw, the lighter end $4.50 to 5.40/kg lw. So, it was a pretty good week over here in the auction system. We had nearly 3000 cattle on AuctionsPlus or at Powranna on Thursday and everything found a home easy enough, which is pleasing to see plenty of confidence in the job.

“We have another mixed weather week coming up, light winter weather really with some wind and rain.” – Gavin Coombe, State Livestock Manager, Tasmania.

Source: MLA.

Victoria/Riverina

“In the South of my patch now, growing season has kicked in and things are bouncing away. So, we are driving around thinking we have probably got a bit more feed than we thought, so that's a positive and a bit of a mindset that we haven't had for a while.

“Riverina is different. It's right on a knife edge and can still go either way. The way it’s shaping up it looks like going against us, particularly the western Riverina. The eastern Riverina is not too bad.

“We're right on the cusp of a rebuild phase in western Vic, but no one's really putting their hand up at the minute. It might be because of finances but also uncertainty about the season.” – Nick Gray, State Livestock Manager, Victoria/Riverina.

Source:MLA

“In the West, temperatures are starting to get up there in the mid-20s, which has been handy because we need some heat and a bit of dry weather to get the grass growing.

“The grass-fed cattle job over here is slowly starting up and the supermarkets have got prices out at $7.90 to 8/kg dw. If you're a certified grass, they've got prices at $8.20/kg dw, cows haven't moved too much, although in the yards they are making $3.60/kg lw or the equivalent of $6.20/kg dw on the hook.

“On the lighter cattle, it's good to see the light steers at 250 to 320kgs crack over the $5/kg lw mark they have gone from $5/kg lw to $5.25/kg lw.

“The heavier feeder type steers 350 to 450kgs they are probably most sought after with support from eastern states buyers and selling consistently from $4.50 to 4.90/kg lw.

“On the heifer side of things, the light little heifers that 250 to 320kgs are around $3.80 to $4.15/kg lw. The heavier heifers, like the steers are most in demand with heifers 350 to 450kgs, anywhere from $$3.80 to 4.30/kg lw.

“The yards are going well, putting pricing pressure on the processors. We're really going to start cranking up on the AuctionsPlus at Mount Barker saleyards in anticipation of lift in eastern states buying.” – Michael Longford, Livestock Sales Manager, WA.

Source: MLA.