MARKET REPORT – PRIME CATTLE – 30 JULY, 2018

PHOTO: It was hats off and a minute silence at the start of today’s prime market to pay respect to Graeme ‘Turk’ Delaney of Elders Mortlake, a stalwart of the industry, who passed away suddenly on the weekend. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends – Graeme will be sadly missed at WVLX.

Total Yarding: 645

There was a lift in cattle numbers at Mortlake to 645 sold which was 248 more. Quality was mixed but there was an improvement overall with some well-finished steers and heifers in the young trade cattle, some well presented grown steers and again a range of good beef and dairy bred cows. The usual buying group attended as they operated in a weaker market.

Younger cattle were on average 5c to 15c/kg cheaper and the grown steers and heifers also eased mostly 5c to 15c/kg. In the cow market there was significant less demand as the heavy beef cows were 10c to 20c/kg easier, most of the medium cows varied from 20c to 30c lower with some of the light cows up to 40c/kg weaker on last week. Bulls sold close to unchanged. The sale consisted of approximately 327 cows, 170 grown steers, 24 grown heifers, 115 young cattle and 9 bulls.

The young cattle to processors made from 230c to the market top of 301c/kg with feeders and restockers active paying mostly 220c to 280c/kg for their store cattle. A pen of  D2 Friesian yearling heifers sold for 190c/kg and lighter D1 heifers sold for 112c/kg during the market. Grown steers C3 and C4 sold from 271c to 295c/kg with restockers creating some extra competition purchasing steers from 255c to 292c/kg.

Grown heifers D4, C2 and C4 of good quality made between 240c to 248c/kg and the manufacturing steers D2 and D3 were steady making from 200c to 246c/kg.

E1 dairy bred cows were mostly from 125c to 145c with the extra light pens varying in price from 68c to 132c/kg. The D1 dairy bred cows made from 166c to 185c/kg, the D2 cows from 180c to 205c/kg and the D3 heavy Friesian cows 210c to 215c/kg. Restockers were busy in places as they purchased light cows from 98c to 130c/kg and cows with slightly more cover 170c to 212c/kg.

The light E1 beef bred cows sold from 87c to 166c/kg the D1 portion 168c to 190c/kg and the D2 beef cows were from 190c to 222c/kg. The heavier D and C muscled cows sold from 210c to the cow top price of 248c/kg and best of the beef bulls were from 230c to 251c/kg.

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

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