Mareeba Combined Agents penned a total of 577 head for this week’s prime and store sale. Numbers lifted by 48 head. The sale was attended by two major processors, three local wholesale processors, two live export buyers and a small group of local growers, fatteners and traders.
The return of one major local trade buyer to market created strong competition on local trade cattle. This is where we saw bullocks improve by 11c on last week’s top of 281c/kg. Heifers improved by 19c from 220c the previous week and local trade cows gained 18c against the best of the previous week at 226c.
Ox suitable for slaughter were up by 10c with added competition from the live export slaughter market. Cows suitable for the slaughter market went well beyond the best of last week by 15c to finish at 243c. Bulls suitable for slaughter didn’t hit the top of 276c, back 16c, however the better types of bulls went to the live export market topping at 273c.
Local trade steers sold from 290c to 292c, local trade heifers ranged from 229c to 239c and local trade cows made from 214c to 244c. Ox suitable for slaughter sold from 223c to 291c, cows suitable for slaughter made from 200c to 243c, while bulls suitable for slaughter ranged from 170c to 260c.
Store steers topped at 292c, store heifers sold to 243c, younger store bulls reached 273c, yearling heifers made 228c and yearling steers sold to 278c.
