CATTLE
Cattle listings rose slightly to 17,205 head on AuctionsPlus last week. Competition was subdued, however, with a clearance of 54 per cent, down 10pc points on the previous week.
Prices dipped slightly for benchmark steers weighing between 280-330kg, falling 6pc to $1131. Value over reserve dropped $5 to average $61.
The AuctionsPlus Young Cattle Indicator, however, rose 11 points.
Most categories were either down or flat on a price per kilo basis, with the exception of sub-200kg steers, up 13pc at a healthy clearance, and heifers 200-280kg, up 5pc.
Pregnancy tested in-calf heifers saw the biggest gain - up 23pc - but the lowest clearance at just 19pc.
Steers
Steers 280-330kg registered a 33pc larger offering of 2373 head and averaged $1131/head - down $78 for a 58pc clearance. Prices ranged from 250 - 438c and averaged 362c/kg lwt.
From Nundle, NSW, a line of 74 Angus steers aged nine to 10 months and weighing 310kg returned $1360/head, or 438c/kg lwt and will travel to a buyer in Wandoan.
Steers 200-280kg registered a 67pc larger offering of 2047 head and averaged $980/head - up $5 for a 77pc clearance. Prices ranged from 249 - 480c and averaged 423c/kg lwt.
From Quirindi, NSW, a line of 93 Hereford/Hereford/Angus steers aged six to seven months and weighing 201kg returned $800/head, or 398c/kg lwt and will travel to a buyer in Bayview, NSW.
Heifers
Heifers 280-330kg registered a 37pc smaller offering of 1137 head and averaged $900/head - down $34 for a 54pc clearance. Prices ranged from 196 - 530c and averaged 308c/kg lwt.
From Mitchell, a line of 180 Santa Gertrudis heifers aged 11 to 15 months and weighing 289kg returned $965/head, or 334c/kg lwt and will travel to a buyer in Tamworth, NSW.
From Leeville, NSW, a line of 20 Brangus heifers aged 18 to 24 months and weighing 324kg returned $1720/head, or 530c/kg lwt and will travel to a buyer in Moore.
Heifers 330-400kg dropped by 8pc to register 1354 head and averaged $1041/head - down $58 for a 58pc clearance. Prices ranged from 189 - 481c and averaged 293c/kg lwt.
From Billa Billa, a line of 16 Charolais cross heifers aged 14 to 24 months and weighing 355kg returned $940/head, or 265c/kg lwt and will travel to a buyer in Inverell, NSW.
Breeding stock
The number of PTIC articles halved last week, driven by a 61pc drop in PTIC heifers.
That category did see a nice price bump for those that did sell, up $308 to average $1663/head. Of the 805 head on offer only 19pc sold, however.
From Holbrook, NSW, a line of 66 Angus heifers aged 19 to 21 months and weighing 482kg returned $1880/head, or 390c/kg lwt and will travel to a buyer in Deniliquin, NSW.
PTIC cows registered a 21pc smaller offering of 1364 head and averaged $1551/head - down $162 for a 66pc clearance.
From Barraba, NSW, a line of 79 Angus cows aged three years old and weighing 420kg returned $1880/head, or 447c/kg lwt and will travel to a buyer in Glen innes, NSW.
SHEEP
Sheep and lamb listings fell 21pc to 64,486 head last week, with the lamb, sheep, NSM and ram categories all recording softer listings, while an extra 31pc of joined ewes were marketed. The smaller offering was met with a 3pc increase in the clearance rate to 59pc. Price over reserve fell by $10 to average $4 across all listings.
AuctionsPlus' restocker indicator ARLI recouped the 48c/kg it lost the previous week and then some to sit at 567c. At the same time MLA's Restocker Lamb Indicator, which shows what lambs are being paid for in physical saleyards, fell 23.59c/kg to 516.90.
Crossbred lambs fell $3 last week with the crossbred lamb indicator shifting to $106/head. Lamb prices fell across some categories with shedders rising by $22 to average $117/head and Merino ewe lambs crept up $2/head. Joined ewes mostly recorded price reductions, with scanned in-lamb Merino ewes holding firm. SIL first-cross ewes and SM shedding breed ewes fell $35 to $152 and $37 to $142 respectively.
Listings fell in all states except Victoria. Purchases fell in all states apart from Queensland. Processors purchased 1920 lots and were active across first-cross ewe lambs and crossbred lamb markets.
Crossbred lambs registered a 21pc smaller offering in head, with prices averaging $106/head for a 90pc clearance.
From Casterton, VIC, a line of 118 Dorset/Border Leicester/Merino mixed sex Jun/Jul '23 lambs weighing 35kg lwt returned $106/head, or 300c/kg and will travel to a buyer in Loxton, SA.
The 7085 Merino wether lambs offered was a 65pc reduction to the 20,399 offered the previous week. Prices did not respond favourably to the reduced supply as might have been expected, with prices $10/head lower and a 74pc clearance rate.
From Branxholme, VIC, a line of 850 composite wethers Aug/Sep '23 and weighing 32kg lwt returned $96/head, or 296c/kg and will travel to a buyer in Swan Hill, VIC.
There were 4052 Merino ewe hoggets offered, up 12pc from the 3632 offered the week before. Prices rose $18/head in this category to record an average price of $91/head. It didn't help clearance, however, which only managed 36pc.
