MARKET REPORT – 29 JANUARY, 2018

Total Yarding: 735

In the first WVLX Mortlake cattle sale reported on by MLA’s NLRS, agents penned 735 cattle comprised of 313 grown steers, 199 young cattle, 165 cows and 58 bulls. Quality was mixed with plain through to good quality in most categories. A strong field of buyers attended along with many spectators watching on at this the second sale here at this new establishment.

Demand was good for the better quality grown steers and some vealers but nearly all other cattle saw competition drop off. The C2 and C3 vealers sold from 222c to 274c with restockers paying 235c to 265c/kg. The yearling steers to the processors were from 230c to 273c with restockers mainly purchasing between 230c and 264c and an odd single reached 272c/kg. Yearling heifers saw the C2 grade make 185c to 212c and the C3’s 240c to 248c/kg. Restockers paid 228c to 245c with plainer C2’s from 205c/kg.

A wide range in quality saw C3 and C4 grown steers of medium to extra heavy weights sell between 225c and 267c and restockers paid mostly 240c to 263c with a sale down to 225c/kg. Most good quality C3 and C4 grown heifers were from 230c to 250c/kg. There was a good penning of C3 to C5 beef cows and prices ranged from 204c to 215c while the few D2 grade sold at 190c to 197c/kg. The D1 cows made 160c to 178c with some down to 108c/kg. Most of the better quality heavy weight bulls were between 230c and 256c/kg.

Market Report: Reproduced courtesy of Meat & Livestock Australia Limited. Full report: https://www.mla.com.au/CachedNLRSReports/Mortlake-Cattle-Report-29-Jan-2018.PDF?id=636528411280825722

Photo: Brendan Mahncke, son Josh Mahncke and father Bob Mahncke sold 2 pens of steer vealers, making 250c/kg and 240c/kg respectively.