“Red ink” took over through the young cattle categories last week, with most steer and heifer lines back by over $100/head.
The 200-280kg steers registered the largest offering for the week, with the 2,434 head offered selling to a 61% clearance rate – averaging $191 lower on last week, at $1,554/head.
Making up almost two-thirds of the category, average Queensland prices (see Table 2) for the 200-280kg segment dropped $296 on last week, to average $1,481/head.
From Charleville, Queensland, a line of 133 Droughtmaster (pictured) weaned steers aged 6-10-months-old and weighing 267kg lwt returned $1,670/head.
Also out of Queensland, a line of 104 Angus weaned heifers from Roma, aged 6-11-months-old and weighing 254.5kg lwt returned $1,755/head, or 689.6c/kg lwt.
The 280-330kg steers dropped $141 lower for the week to average $1,899/head, with a 51% clearance rate for the 1,842 head offered.
From Tarcutta, NSW, 25 Angus steers aged 9-10-months-old and weighing 286kg lwt returned $1,790/head to a buyer in Boorolite, Victoria.
Going against the lower trend, 330-400kg steers averaged $153 higher on last week, at $2,166/head, with a 50% clearance rate for the 1,612 head offered.
From Narromine, NSW, a line of 32 Angus feeder steers aged 11-12-months-old and weighing 373kg lwt returned $2,300/head, or 616c/kg lwt.
For young heifers, only 200-280kg lines averaged higher for the week, up $102, to average $1,648/head. With 1,860 head offered, the clearance rate for the 200-280kg lines reached 48%, which was back from the 52% last week.
Through the heavier lines the red-ink returned, with 280-330kg lines averaging $197 lower, at $1,840/head. A comparatively tight supply of 330-400kg heifers failed to halt the declining market, with most of last week’s $311 gain wiped-off, down $226 for the week, to average $2,049/head.
From Ellaswood, Victoria, a line of 40 yearling Shorthorn heifers aged 12-14-months-old and weighing 351kg lwt returned $1,900/head, heading to a buyer from Geurie, NSW.
For the breeding lines, PTIC took a considerable step backwards this week, as overall demand declined. With the 2,743 head only reaching a 39% clearance rate, average prices slipped $480 lower, averaging a seasonal low of $2,233/head.
From Winchelsea South, Victoria, a line of 43 Angus PTIC heifers aged 20-21-months-old and weighing 457kg lwt returned $2,775/head to a buyer in Cootamundra, NSW. The heifers were joined to Angus bulls and due to calve in mid-September.
PTIC cows averaged $68 higher for the week, at $2,704/head, as weight and bloodlines continued to underpin the market. From Winton, Western Queensland, a line of 40 Santa Gertrudis cows PTIC to Santa Gertrudis bulls aged 2-9-years-old and average 630kg lwt returned $3,000/head.
From Jugiong, NSW, a line of 17 Angus station mated cows with 17 Angus calves at foot returned a top price of $4,000/head. The cows were joined to Angus bulls, aged five-years-old and average 625kg lwt. The calves were aged 3-6-weeks-old and averaged 115kg lwt.
-AuctionsPlus