It was another massive winter week of offerings through AuctionsPlus cattle sales, with prices up across all ten young cattle categories. With a final offering of 17,412 head for the week – up 10% on last week, AuctionsPlus has now offered over 100,000 head of cattle in the past six weeks - with the market continuing to be driven by unprecedented buyer confidence.
Through the young steer categories, prices were up across all five weight divisions, with the largest increase registered for the heaviest lines. 400kg+ steers jumped $175 on last week, to average $2,341/head, with some outstanding lots presented across the 850 head offered. Demand for lighter weight steers drove the 200-280kg category $31 higher on last week, to average $1,567/head – with a very healthy 97% clearance rate for the 2,113 head offered. The 330-400kg category jumped $149/head, to average $2,034/head, while the lighter 280-330kg segment lifted $45, to average $1,735/head.
The PTIC heifer category increased $142 this week, to average $2,594/head, with some very targeted lines offered. With a total of 1,513 head offered for the week, the subdued clearance rate of 63%, also showed that there was still some distance between vendors expectations and buyers limits. For the featured PTIC sexed embryo lines, the two female lots delivered an $80-170 premium over the two male lines – with both female lines reaching $2,640/head.
For the young heifer category, the largest jumps were at each end of the weight categories, with the lightest lines averaging $100 higher, at $1,171, while the very thin offering of 400kg+ heifers helped the average kick $116 higher, to $2,131/head. Within the 200-280kg category, the 2,468 head offered sold to a 90% clearance rate, with prices for the week finishing at $1,497 – up $9/head on last week.
Offerings through the proven breeder lines was again largely reflective of quality, with the 700 PTIC cows offered averaging $17 lower on last week, at $2,369/head. A large line of 50 PTIC cows with 52 CAF out of Leeton sold to $4,270/head, with the Angus/Hereford cows averaging 515.3kg liveweight and between 32-38 months of age. With the cows PTIC to a Scotts Angus Bull, the CAF averaged 195kg and were between 4-6months of age.
NOTE: Prices as at 2pm Friday, 20th August, 2021.