AuctionsPlus commercial cattle numbers bounced 7% higher this week, to 17,848 head, as the price see-saw returned, with no clear trend through the market. Some welcome rain through parts of northern NSW and southern Queensland helped bring some restocker focus back into the market, with clearance rates higher than previous weeks through the steer categories.
330-400kg steers averaged $57 lower this week, at $2,117/head, despite a very robust 85% clearance rate for the 1,839 head offered. Out of Mitchell, Southern Queensland, 84 Santa Gertrudis/Santa Gertrudis cross backgrounder steers, averaging 380kg liveweight and ranging between 13-15 months of age, sold to $2,300/head. 400kg+ steers continue to remain relatively stable, averaging $2,434/head – down $7 on last week.
Through the lighter steer lines, 200-280kg lines recovered some of last week’s 7% price decline, averaging $48 higher at $1,768/head. 280-330kg steers averaged $19 lower, at $1,972/head, with an improved 79% clearance rate for the 1,512 head offered.
Table 1: AuctionsPlus National Weekly Cattle Prices
Table 2: AuctionsPlus Queensland Weekly Cattle Prices
Table 3: AuctionsPlus Angus Weekly Cattle Prices
The two lightest young heifer categories bounced back this week, with 200-280kg lines averaging $162 higher, at $1,762/head. With a very thin offering, less than 200kg heifers averaged $79 up on last week, at $1,279/head. The heaviest lines averaged lower for the week, with 330-400kg lines slipping $57 on last week, to average $2,086/head. From Drillham, Southern Queensland, 67 Santa Gertrudis/Composite and Angus/Composite weaned heifers, sold to $1,840/head – averaging 333kg, aged 10-15 months.
PTIC heifers were again the dominant category for the week, with the 3,380 head making up 19% of the market. With restockers and breeders remaining very cautious at the current price levels, PTIC heifers averaged slightly higher for the week, at $3,061/head – even though they recorded the lowest clearance rate across the major categories at 46%. Topping the category for the week was 29 Angus PTIC heifers, joined to Angus bulls, out of Guyra NSW, which sold to $4,600/head – averaging 611kg and aged 32-36 months.
An 80% jump in the weekly offering of PTIC cows, at 2,472 head, had a minor impact on prices this week, averaging $44 lower, at $2,899/head. Bloodlines and cow age continue to be the main determinant of the PTIC cow movements each week, with careful buying seeing the clearance rate hit 56% this week – up from 48% last week. 23 Angus PTIC cows, joined to Angus bulls, out of Gatton Southern Queensland, sold to $3,200/head – averaging 492kg and ranging from 4-9 years of age.
Out of Barcaldine Queensland, 28 SM Droughtmaster and Brahman cows, with 28 CAF sold to $3,120/head. The cows ranged from 6-10 years of age, averaging 453.2kg liveweight, while the calves sired by Droughtmaster bulls, averaged 226kgs.
NOTE: Prices as at 2pm, Friday 8th April 2022
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