PHOTO: This beautiful pen of Charolais Heifers sold by Southern Grampians Livestock topped the market today at 292c/kg, weighing an average 365.7kg.

Total Yarding: 480

The cattle numbers increased to 480 head at Mortlake, up 164 head, in a mixed quality yarding, with some well presented beef bred cattle in most categories. Two less buyers attended the market with prices showing a generally weaker trend. Some of the good quality young cattle and grown heifers did sell unchanged, however the unfinished cattle were mostly 5c to 15c cheaper, with some lighter cattle up to 20c/kg cheaper. Grown steers sold from firm to slightly easier by a few cents, manufacturing steers sold 10c to 20c lower in places and the offering of mostly beef cows were also from 10c to 20c/kg cheaper.

The few vealers sold from 226c to 272c, yearling steers C3 to C4 were from 244c to 295c, with yearling heifers C2 and C3 making from 191c to 292c/kg. The D2 heifer portion sold from 188c to 217c, while restockers and feeders paid between 226c and 263c/kg for their younger store cattle. A few sales of D2 and D3 yearling heifers with weight sold from 225c to 255c/kg.

C2 and C3 grown steers made from 260c to 292c, with a single B2 steer selling for 288c/kg. D2 and D3 grown heifers made from 196c to 251c, while C2 and C3 grown heifers made from 222c to 260c/kg. A pen of C4 heifers going to restockers reached 270c/kg. The Friesian D2 manufacturing steers sold from 180c to 216c, with the D1 sales making from 120c to 155c/kg. In the cow market, E1 light cows made from 70c to 140c/kg, D2 cows sold from 190c to 211c and the heavy beef cows D3, D4 and C4 sold from 220c to the top cow price of 242c/kg. A pen D2 dairy bred cows reached a price of 203c, which was an isolated dearer sale of 10c/kg on last week. Best of the bulls of all breeds sold from 220c to reach 240c, as they also sold to a cheaper trend of 5c to 15c/kg.

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

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