Toowoomba livestock selling agents Elders and Landmark reported 1172 head of cattle at their regular Monday sale, an increase of 330 on last week.
Young cattle were well supplied with some handy runs of finished yearlings, mainly supplementary fed and well bred, attracting interest from both the trade and feedlot operators. There were also several pens of lighter yearlings that were mainly acquired by local restockers. In the grown cattle section, cows made up the bulk of the yarding with also a good penning of grown heifers, however bullock and steer numbers were down.
Overall the market was quoted cheaper with feeder steers selling 6-8c/kg easier with medium weights topping at 320c to average 313c. Light restocker steers sold to 364c. Feeder steers saw the biggest decrease in valves with prices quoted up to 20c easier on the previous week.
In the export section, bullocks were 4-8c easier with 3 and 4 score ranging from 262-289c. Grown heifers sold up to 285c and the cow market was quoted as 10-12c easier. Medium weight score 3 cows averaged 228c, while heavy cows sold to a top of 239c.
Ryan Dellit, manager of Graham Henderson & Co, Dalby, told me that Dalby Combined Agents yarded 4042 head at last week’s sale. Ryan said his company yarded cattle from Wandoan, The Gums, Glenmorgan, Chinchilla, Kingaroy and the local Downs area. In the export grades, heavy steers and bullocks eased in value averaging 5-10c cheaper on the previous week’s levels. Cows to processors were 5-8 c easier. Heavy weight feeder steers sold to a firm market with domestic feeder steers and heifers lifting 5-10c. Fair numbers of store cattle were penned for the second round with restockers active in the market. All lightweight young cattle continue to demand high rates.
Roma Saleyards manager Paul Klar told me that Roma Combined Agents have booked 7565 head for this week’s sale, made up of 3289 steers, 328 heifers, 926 cows and 69 cows and calves. No doubt restockers will be keen to attend this sale with some handy quality lines to be offered.
Paul told me that Roma Saleyards throughput for October, for both store and prime cattle, was 17,423 head for a value of $15,883,910.37 compared to the corresponding month in 2016 of 27,037 head for a value of $32,294,317.54. We must take into account while looking at these figures that the supply of prime cattle is fairly tight this year and a few sales this October were rain affected.
Des Cuffe, manager of Elders, Blackall told me Blackall Combined Agents will conduct their final weaner and prime sale for the year this Thursday. Des said that seasonal conditions around Blackall were very patchy and most of the country is looking forward to some drought-breaking falls.
