Mareeba combined agents penned a total of 410 head for this week’s prime and store sale for the first sale of 2018 on February 13.
Cattle were drawn from Innisfail, Cooktown, Mt Garnet, Chillagoe, Lakeland, Coen, Mt Carbine, Malanda, Mareeba, Atherton Tablelands and Daintree.
In attendance were one major processor, one southern trader, one feedlotter and a small group of local growers and fatteners.
This week’s sale set a record for the most cattle offered for the first week of selling. The dry conditions across most of Queensland, the high Aussie dollar and big push of cattle into the processing market and central and southern sales has caused market values to decline in comparison to the last sales of 2017.
Better quality cattle, either slaughter condition types or store cattle are commanding competition, however plain quality types are struggling to gain much interest.
Prime Quotes: Local trade steers topped 255c, local trade cows made 212c, ox suitable for slaughter hit 251c, cows suitable for slaughter made 207c and slaughter bulls sold to 229c.
Store Quotes: Steers sold to 300.2c, heifers made 207c, Droughtmaster cows and calves returned $710, while younger store bulls topped 236c.