Roma Livestock Agents Association have booked 3156 steers, 3157 heifers, 546 cows and 96 cows and calves for this week’s store sale.
The market has held up fairly well over the past month considering the consistent high yardings across the major selling centres in Queensland.
Quality lines of weaner steers are still selling in the 400 to 420c/kg bracket with heifers selling from 330 to 370c/kg and a shade dearer for top lines.
Some useful patchy storm rain was received over the eastern Maranoa and Western Downs over the past weekend and with a further rain front predicted for later this week, it will give producers with crop already in the ground a lift in confidence on the season ahead.
It will be very interesting over the next month to see how many cattle are to be marketed this financial year or held over to the new financial year.
Quite a number of cattlemen in the northern Warrego through to central western Queensland are having to make the hard decisions on whether to sell or agist if possible, as the season tightens with winter fast approaching.
I caught up with David Friend from Nowlan & Co, Warwick, this week. He told me that the area has quite a large area of winter forage crop planted with still more to plant.
He said that they had not had a frost at this stage which is unusual for the district.
Growers are looking forward to some useful rain in the coming weeks to boost their crops. David reported that Warwick Saleyard, which has the only weekly lamb and sheep auction in Queensland has been averaging around 1800 lambs and 800 – 1000 sheep per week.
He quoted the store lamb market as very sound with sales up to $95.00 or 300c/kg.
Trade lambs sold at $140, heavy lambs eased slightly to $160. Heavy ewes with eight months skin sold to $141. David said the cattle market has been very good for quality lines of yearling steers and heifers but has eased in line with other markets for cows and plainer quality cattle.
Talking with Ian Lovegrove this week. Ian, a former agent and well known pastoral identity in Central Queensland and now Northern Field Rep for Australian Livestock Markets Association, reminded me that the Annual General Meeting will be held in Rockhampton on July 26 and 27.
He said that the saleyard industry will be represented by saleyard operators and spelling facilities from all states.
Ian said that ALMA has a very interesting conference planned with tours of the outstanding Paradise Lagoons Campdrafting Complex and the iconic Gracemere Saleyards which has been transformed into a modern selling complex. Ian can be contacted on 0418458280.
