Following fluctuating prices at recent cattle sales, livestock agents have revealed why they feel buyers appear to have lost confidence with the market and when higher prices could return.
We asked some leading Queensland livestock agents to review their latest sales data and share their predictions for the months ahead.
At Beaudesert, Bartholmew & Co principal Roy Bartholomew said he believed the slight drop in pricing was seasonal and predicted it would recover in the new financial year.
"It's the time of the year for an industry governed by supply and demand for a price ease," he said.
"Due to public holidays including Easter and Anzac Day we have four short weeks which means four days lost for processing cattle which won't happen."
Mr Bartholomew said recent rains had boosted forage which would result in better animals securing higher prices later in the year.
"The weather has been unbelievable, with a big harvest of forage growing," he said.
"I also think Australian herd numbers are not back to where they should be, a cow has only one calf and a lot of females have been killed, we have a very good product.
"I think some cattle will come through the system in the next couple of months, especially from channel country when it dries out a bit.
"But I do think prices will correct in the second half of the year."
At Dalby, Gilliland Livestock Marketing agent Connor Veraart said a number of elements including an oversupply of cattle and unpredictable weather had combined to impact buyer confidence.
"I think we did see a lot of cattle hit the market at a certain time so there was an oversupply," he said.
"I feel after we went through a good spell in the season, then saw it weaken a little bit with prolonged dry weather, those four to six weeks of dry weather caused vendors to offload a little earlier which put more pressure in the market."
Mr Veraart said the short weeks leading to Easter had further increased market pressure.
Now he said it was vital the market stabilised while cattle quality remained consistent.
"We have had some good rain from the the Western Downs to the Scenic Rim, which is the little spell we needed," he said.
"I would have thought with the weather at the moment we might see a low on numbers.
"So while I feel we won't get back where they were previously when they were going through the roof, we will see a lift when the market stabilises."
Ray White Livestock Blackall agent Joe Grove said cattle prices and numbers were "flowing until the rain".
"Around here we have had anywhere from 15 mm to 150mm which is fantastic," he said.
"Leading in to the short Easter week prices took a dip."
Mr Grove said an excess of fat cattle had also increased market pressure.
"There's a large amount of cattle in the system, we still have fat cattle which did not sell due to the soft market last year," he said.
"Here and in the central west we have a fair amount of livestock and although we have seen large numbers of processor cattle through our saleyards, we could have 18 months worth of fat cattle to sell this year.
"And we will see more as stations start to muster up after Easter."
Mr Grove said the fat cattle market "does not match" the store market.
"In good head weight of fat cattle we are seeing good results but cattle of a lessor quality are not making the money," he said.
"In recent sales the best heavy cows have made 230 cents a kilo and reports on today's market in Roma we saw with the wet weather there's a bit of extra around.
"While the store market out here has been relatively good, producer resistance comes from them not purchasing stock in equal numbers to previous years, they are scarred from what they went though last year and don't want to repeat it.
"Producers in western Queensland are a lot more cautious, they don't want a loss in what could be a tighter market leading through winter."
But Mr Grove said on the whole he was optimistic about the future.
"With this past rain event we will see a bit of stability in the store market through western Queensland," he said.
"I think the rain will stop the downturn of prices and we will see a bit of panic lessen in people as they are bit more confident to step back into the market."
In Roma, PJH Raine & Horne principal Steven Goodhew said the rain had helped bring confidence to the market as it reduced the flow of cattle numbers.
"Since the change come through the middle of Queensland into the south west it gave us three days of steady rain from a minimum of two to six inches (5cm to 15cm) in the Maranoa region," he said.
"It's been slow and steady, while the season was still pretty good the grass was haying off and this rain has cemented our winter feed."
Mr Goodhew said on March 26 the cattle sale at Roma drew fewer head due to local graziers unable to load due to wet weather.
"We had a rain-reduced sale of 2100 head virtually drawn from Warren in NSW to Cloncurry and Charleville trucked in over the weekend, there was no local cattle of course as it was too wet to move them," he said.
"The market showed definite signs of improvement across the board for steers and heifers.
"Some meatworks cows were definitely stronger as the buyers were keen to source what was on hand as so many head were locked up due to the weather and this steadied the flow of numbers.
"It will now take a few few weeks to dry out and again this will help steady the flow which had put pressure on the market as meatworks and feedlots had been full."
Mr Goodhew said he felt anxious buyers negatively impacted by the 2023 market would return when they felt more settled.
"I think some buyers were burnt from last year when it was so dry," he said.
"People shelled out a lot of money on feed to keep the cattle going and then they needed to sell a few.
"Hopefully, the market will steady and instil a bit more confidence."
On the Atherton Tablelands, Prophurst principal Bram Pollock said the consistent soggy weather had kept paddocks boggy which made getting cattle off properties to sales a real challenge.
"You can't get anything done this week before Easter and all the black soil here is making everything clogged and bogged," he said.
"With the muddy terrain you can't get onto some properties at the moment."
Mr Pollock said some livestock would retain its price but others could fall further.
"I think the store market will hold," he said.
"But fat cattle there's a real dip as there's too many on the market.
"At the moment we are seeing in the live export trade bullocks of 550kg sitting at 300 cents a kg but this could drop to 260 cents to 280 cents."
Beaudesert Elders Livestock agent Carl Young said top quality cattle are still commanding top prices.
"We had a Speckle Park sale last week and the prices went against the falling trend," he said.
"This absolutely proves good quality cattle will always find a buyer.
According to the Elders Beaudesert market report, weaner heifers sold for $940, weaner steers, $1620, heifers to join for $1120, cows and calves for $1620 and bulls at $3000.
But he said an over-supply of secondary cattle did not help.
"Last Friday I went to the sales at Casino in NSW and there were some very good cattle there making well above Queensland prices," Mr Veraart said.
"I know some Queensland buyers have crossed the border to NSW to look for stock."
Mr Veraart agreed weather and oversupply were factors to keep buyers hands in pockets.
"I think its a combination of a lot of different things, we saw lower prices in November then it kicked along until February and we saw prices which indicated the market would stabilise or go higher," he said.
"I would not be surprised if prices went up, they will in the short term we will see a definite kick, but whether it sustains or not we'll have to see.
"However, good cattle will still be making good money."
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