CATTLE
The 17,760 head of cattle listed on AuctionsPlus last week managing to clear just 36 per cent. Steers 280-330kg held steady in terms of price but the AuctionsPlus Young Cattle Indicator fell 23 points.
The optimism at the start of the year seems to have dried up along with the available pasture. Heat waves in SA and Victoria in February and into March have seen those states lead in terms of falls in confidence.
Queensland and NSW have now followed that trend downwards, after holding relatively steady in terms of clearance for the past three weeks.
Some regions saw particularly poor demand, with NSW Northern Tablelands and western Queensland showing less than 10pc clearance each across 3000 combined head. South west Victoria saw just a quarter of its 1658 head find a buyer.
Things were a little less pessimistic in central west NSW, southern Qld and NSW Northwest Slopes and Plains where clearance ranged between 46pc-56pc on relatively large offerings.
Steers
Steers 330-400kg registered a fractionally smaller offering of 2694 head and averaged $1198/head - down $64 from the previous week for a 23pc clearance. Prices ranged from 240 - 373c and averaged 340c/kg lwt.
From Bungowannah, NSW, a line of 88 Angus steers aged eight to nine months and weighing 341kg returned $1270/head, or 373c/kg lwt and will travel to a buyer in Anakie, VIC.
Steers 200-280kg registered a 4pc smaller offering of 1973 head and averaged $883/head - down $73 for a 36pc clearance. Prices ranged from 293 - 422c and averaged 362c/kg lwt.
From Mudgee, NSW, a line of 20 Black Simmental/Angus steers aged six to seven months and weighing 271kg returned $990/head, or 366c/kg lwt and will travel to a buyer in Warren, NSW.
Heifers
Heifers 280-330kg jumped 40pc to 1594 head and averaged $864/head - down $26 for a 25pc clearance. Prices ranged from 210 - 310c and averaged 280c/kg lwt.
From Charleville, a line of 36 Simbrah/Angus/Simmental heifers aged six to 12 months and weighing 283kg returned $750/head, or 265c/kg lwt and will travel to a buyer in Charleville.
Heifers 330-400kg registered a 4pc smaller offering of 1296 head and averaged $1039/head - down $2 for a 57pc clearance. Prices ranged from 234 - 307c and averaged 292c/kg lwt.
From Barraba, NSW, a line of 95 Angus heifers aged 15 to 17 months and weighing 352kg returned $1080/head, or 307c/kg lwt and will travel to a buyer in Timor, NSW.
Breeding stock
Pregnancy tested in-calf cows registered a slightly larger offering of 1424 head and averaged $1680/head - up $129 for a 37pc clearance.
From Coonamble, NSW, two lines of 60 Angus cows aged 2.5 to 3 years old and weighing 523kg returned $2020/head, or 386c/kg lwt and will travel to a buyer in Boorowa, NSW.
PTIC heifers registered a 21pc larger offering of 978 head and averaged 1392/head - down $251 for a 31pc clearance.
From Oakey, a line of 13 Charolais heifers aged 24 months and weighing 534kg returned $1700/head, or 318c/kg lwt and will travel to a buyer in Buderim.
SHEEP
Sheep and lamb listings jumped 20pc to 77,452 head last week, with an extra 212pc of Merino wethers and an extra 153pc of shedding breed lambs hitting the market, while the scanned in-lamb first-cross ewes and NSM Merino ewes offering dropped around 60pc.
The larger offering was met with a 19pc drop in the clearance rate to 42pc. Value over reserve rose by $3 to average $6 across all listings.
Crossbred lambs fell $5/head, with the crossbred lamb indicator also falling 5pc to $100/head. Lamb prices were mixed with all categories making small movements either up or down.
Joined ewes were also mixed with a fall of $23/head for SIL Merinos and a lift in SIL and SM shedding breed ewes. NSM first-cross ewes fell $62/head.
Listings fell in Queensland but lifted 5459 head in SA, to a total of 11,993. Purchases fell in all states. Processor purchases declined, with just 1507 head of ewes and wethers snapped up.
Crossbred lambs registered a 2pc smaller offering in head, with prices falling $5 to average $100/head for a 52pc clearance.
From Griffith, NSW, a line of 172 Poll Dorset/composite mixed sex Jun/Jul '23 lambs weighing 41.5kg lwt returned $131/head, or 315c/kg and will travel to a buyer in Orange, NSW.
The 2718 Merino wether lambs offered was a 212pc increase on the previous week's auction. Prices responded favourably to the increased supply, with a $24/head increase and a 78pc clearance rate.
From Charlton, VIC, a line of 349 Poll Merino wethers April/May '23 and weighing 51.6kg lwt returned $121/head, or 234.5c/kg and will travel to a buyer in SA.
There were 4605 Merino ewe hoggets offered, up 14pc. Prices were steady to record an average of $91/head. It didn't help clearance, however, which only managed 24pc.
