PHOTO: Topping the market today at 375c/kg was this pen of Angus grown steers (579kg) that Charles Stewart Nash McVilly sold on behalf of Stevens & Begely, averaging $2171ph.
WVLX Mortlake agents yarded 1300 cattle this week which is a decrease of 280 head on last week’s market. The offering was very plain and mixed. Except for a few, the majority of the bullocks this week didn’t have the weight of previous weeks and the increase was in manufacturing types. Trade cattle lacked finish with the exception of a few tops and tailing off quickly to more plainer crossbred types lacking finish. The cow yarding was mainly dairy breeds with few finished beef cows on offer. Not all regular processors were operating or were not fully engaged. The restocker and feed-lotters operated where they found suitable stock. The offering consisted of 242 bullocks along with 359 trade weights, 649 cows and 50 grown bulls.
Suitable lines of feeder and restocking cattle with weight gained 10 to 15ckg. Plain yearling cattle were back 30 to 40ckg and manufacturing type cattle lost 30c/kg whilst bulls gained 10c/kg. With the drop in quality most cows remained firm to slightly softer in places either side of 5 to 10c/kg.
A small number of vealers made to 315c and trade steers and heifers sold from 280 to 352c/kg. Grown cattle topped at 370 and manufacturing steers topped at 298c with crossbred steers to 330c/kg. Heavy beef cows were from 275 to 327c with the medium weights between 225 and 268c/kg. The better covered dairy cows sold from 225 to 325c with grown bulls to 340c/kg.
