Market fundamentals
National restocker steer prices were down slightly in January, reducing by 2 per cent (pc) over the month. Similar downtrends were also recorded at a state level, dipping at the high end by 20 and 18 pc respectively in Tasmania and Victoria, and remaining comparable to last month in the other states.
A slight downturn in restocker steer prices in January.
Read on for local conditions and commentary from Elders Livestock Managers. For more livestock market insights, head across to Livestock Now.
From the field
“Following the trends of sheep and lambs, we have seen an easing across all categories of the cattle market over the last couple of weeks.
“As summer feed dries, turnoff will probably increase a little bit.” - Damien Webb, State Livestock Manager, northern South Australia.
“We have seen a rally in livestock prices, followed by a flattening, within the last month.
“A lot of livestock have come on the market. Processors were struggling for supply, and now they have plenty of supply, and mainly due to warm weather conditions without much rain over the last month. We haven’t really had any significant rainfall practically state wide.
“That is probably the biggest downer on livestock prices at the minute, but it is summer, and we do expect that to happen – it is not necessarily unusual.
“We are just waiting for the autumn break to come through and get things moving again.” - Gavin Coombe, State Livestock Manager, Tasmania.
“It’s remained dry across the whole state, and has been extremely hot. Feed and water are at a premium, and we are running quite low in some areas.
“We’ve been selling a lot of cattle to the eastern states, that is currently slowing down.
“We are getting towards the end of our cattle yearling sales for the season, so that will start to quieten down shortly.” - Dean Hubbard, State Livestock Manager, Western Australia.
Market Indicators
Table contains restocker steer prices.
Note: States without sufficient data for the current month or without data for a specific stock category will not appear in the table.
Sources: Price data reproduced courtesy of Meat & Livestock Australia Limited.
The information contained in this article is given for the purpose of providing general information only, and while Elders has exercised reasonable care, skill and diligence in its preparation, many factors (including environmental and seasonal) can impact its accuracy and currency. Accordingly, the information should not be relied upon under any circumstances and Elders assumes no liability for any loss consequently suffered. If you would like to speak to someone for tailored advice relating to any of the matters referred to in this article, please contact Elders.