Photo: Sean McDougall of Rosevale Ridge, Maroona (pictured with agent Neil Cooper from Elders Ararat) sold these Charolais Steers for $2.63/kg with an average weight of 522.8kg.

Total Yarding: 438

There was an increased yarding at Mortlake with 438 head sold, 109 more, made up of approximately 345 export and 93 young cattle. Most of the regular buyers were present and operated in a mostly easier market. Quality remained plain to average with a limited selection of finished trade cattle, but there were a few pens of good quality grown heavy steers, Charolais yearling steers plus some heavy beef cows with mixed grades of dairy cows. Young cattle sold were slightly weaker, with yearling steers firm, while yearling heifers sold from unchanged to 6c cheaper and some plainer lots from 10c to 15c/kg easier on average. Grown steers sold unchanged to firm, heavy beef cows sold to less demand, 10c to 15c lower, while lighter and medium cows were by back 1c to 8c/kg easier, but they did benefit from some restocker competition.

A steer vealer C3 made 243c, the good quality yearling steers C3 sold between 245c to 264c, as feeders and restockers paid from 214c to 269c/kg. Yearling heifers to the trade made from 210c to 230c, with the feedlots paying from 184c to 251c/kg.

Grown steers C2 and C3 made from 242c to 260c/kg. Grown Heifers from C2 to C4 made 210c to 235c, with feeders buying heifers from 240c to 249c/kg. D2 and D3 heifers sold from 168c to 218c/kg. Most light weight E1 cows to the processors made between 96c and 120c, the E1 dairy cows made from 130c to 146c and restockers paid from 80c to 105c/kg for very light cows. D1 beef cows sold from 130c to 168c, D2 dairy cows made from 160c to 189c and heavy weight cows, C3 to C5, made from 174c to 220c/kg. Restockers paid mostly 130c to 172c/kg for their cows. Bulls reached a top of 207c/kg, also selling cheaper on last sale.

Market Report: Reproduced courtesy of Meat & Livestock Australia Limited. 

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