CATTLE
Cattle listings rose by 57 per cent last week to 9664 head. This larger offering was met by strong demand to deliver a 92pc clearance, while value over reserve leapt $67 to average $186.
It was green almost across the board with only two categories registering price falls. The positive weather is clearly bringing confidence back into the market with lighter weight steers and heifers recording both significant price rises and high clearance rates.
Offerings registered rises in all three stock categories, with steers leading the way at 92pc above the previous week's levels, totaling 5217 head while heifers jumped 33pc to 2552 head and breeding stock were up 31pc at 1803 head.
Interstate purchasing was strong last week with 35pc of the sold offering being bought from outside the listed state, while processor and feedlot buyers continue to fill orders through the online platform with 6.75pc of the sold offering being secured.
Steers
A key confidence level was breached last week as one lot passed 400c/kg. From Rolleston, a line of 122 Santa Gertrudis steers aged nine to 12 months and weighing 196kg returned $785/head, or 401c/kg lwt and will travel to a buyer in Moura.
Steers 280-330kg tripled on the previous week to 1512 head and were quickly snapped up with 100pc clearance rate. Prices rose $183 to $950/head, ranging from 221 - 349c to average 312c/kg lwt.
From Durong, a line of 100 Santa Gertrudis/Santa cross steers aged 12 to 14 months and weighing 291kg returned $1013/head, or 349c/kg lwt. They will travel to a buyer in Chinchilla.
Steers 330-400kg more than tripled to 1733 head and averaged $1048/head - up $150 for a 90pc clearance. Prices ranged from 203 - 320c and averaged 288c/kg lwt.
From Coolah, NSW, two lines of 95 Angus steers aged 12 to 14 months weighing 381kg returned $1210/head, or 317c/kg lwt and $1220/head and 320c/kg lwt will travel to a buyer in Anakie, VIC.
Four separate lots comprising 95 head of Angus steers aged 10 to 13 months and weighing 348kg from Barraba, NSW, returned $1030/head, or 296c/kg lwt and will travel to a buyer in Dirranbandi.
Heifers
Heifers 200-280kg rose 85pc in terms of offering to 745 head and averaged $733/head - up $154 for a 95pc clearance. Prices were in broad range based on breed from 206 - 1199c and overall averaged 293c/kg lwt.
From Tenterfield, NSW, two lines of 79 Angus heifers aged 11 to 13 months and weighing 234kg returned $750/head, or 321c/kg lwt and will travel to a buyer in Inverell, while in Quilpie, a line of 108 Santa Gertrudis/Santa cross heifers aged 6 to 12 months and weighing 224kg returned $620/head, or 277c/kg lwt and will stay in state.
From Bendemeer, NSW, a line of 18 Wagyu heifers aged 13 to 22 months and weighing 267kg returned $3200/head, or 1199c/kg lwt and will travel to a buyer in Injune.
Breeding stock
SM cows and calves jumped 34pc to 489 head and averaged $1329/head - up $207 for a 98pc clearance.
From Muttaburra, a line of 245 Charbray cows aged three to 13 years and weighing 428kg returned $960/head, or 225c/kg lwt and will travel to a buyer in Richmond.
Pregnancy tested in-calf heifers leapt nearly 170pc to 360 head and averaged $1297/head - up $172 for a 99pc clearance. PTIC cows dropped slightly in both head offered and price.
SHEEP
Sheep and lamb listings dropped by 6pc to 73,089 head last week. The value over reserve increased marginally to $7, and despite the smaller offering the clearance rate declined to 61pc. The market was mixed, with price fluctuations experienced throughout.
Despite the smaller offering of lambs, prices and demand were subdued, especially for Merino lambs. Lambs comprised 54,473 head, falling 8pc. NSM ewe numbers were also reduced at 16,350 head, while joined ewes jumped to over a 1000 head, with all lots finding a buyer.
New season lambs edged slightly higher with the 56,114 head resulting in a 61pc clearance rate and a marginally stronger average at $57/head. Processors and feedlot buyers remained active, securing just over 1100 head (2.48pc of the sold offering).
Crossbred lambs registered a 5pc smaller offering of 33,544 head. Prices increased $5 to $63/head while clearance was marginally higher at 58pc.
From Bigga, NSW, a line of 550 June '23 drop Poll Dorset/Border Leicester/Merino mixed sex lambs weighing 35kg lwt returned $74/head, or 214c/kg and will travel to a buyer in Boweya, VIC.
Composite lambs registered a smaller offering with 4465 head, down 4pc but prices rose $10 to average $61/head with a healthy 86pc clearance.
The top priced offering was $71.50/head for a line of 290 Jun/Jul '23 drop composite wethers weighing 38kg lwt that will travel from Orange to Dubbo, NSW.
Of note was three separate lots from a single vendor of August drop composite wether lambs totalling 2200 head from Chatsworth, VIC, selling to a single agent based in Murray Bridge, SA. Two 700-head lots of 37kg lwt lambs sold for $62/head, while an 800-head lot of 32kg lwt lambs sold for $47/head.
Merino ewes registered an 18pc larger offering of 5219 head with prices increasing $14 to average $90/head and a 63pc clearance.
One vendor in Mount Benson, VIC, had an exceptional week selling 2110 head across six separate lots of 26 to 27-month-old Merino ewes weighing 59/60kg for an average of over $106/head.
