With yet another dry week coming to an end agents yarded a total of 3965 head on April 20 at Gracemere, comprising of 2048 steers and bullocks, 1118 heifers, 674 cows, 79 cows and calves, and 46 bulls and mickies.
Cattle were drawn from as far away as Richmond, Collinsville, Nebo, Mackay, St Lawrence and south to Bororen.
The market struggled to maintain last week’s rates under the large numbers with feeder heifers and young heifers the most affected.
Slaughter steers sold to 234.2c/kg to average 212c/kg, steers 400-500kg made 274.2c to average 252.2c, steers 300-400kg topped 364.2c to average 252.2c, while steers 200-300kg sold to 342.2c to average 275.5c.
Steers under 200kg topped 334.2c to average 271.8c.
Slaughter cows made 238.2c to average 192.9c, cows 400-450kg sold to 231.2c to average 191.3c, cows 320-400kg topped 217.2c to average 173.7c, cows under 320kg sold to 158.2c to average 130.8c.
Heavy heifers sold to 219.2c to average 208.2c, heifers 300-400kg made 225c to average 180.1c, heifers 200-300kg made 226.2c to average 222.3c. Meanwhile heifers under 200kg sold to 222.2c to average 217.2c.
Cows and calves made $1375/unit to average $1048.
Bulls over 600kg sold to 234.2c to average 220.7c, bulls 450kg-600kg made 258.2c to average 230.4c, bulls under 450kg sold to 270.2c to average 210.1c.
Spelta Grazing, Gogango, sold Droughtmaster cows for 212c/kg weighing 697kg to return $1478.
R&A Sparrow, Yaamba sold Brahman cows for 211c/kg weighing 545kg returning $1144. Coorumburra Rural Ent, Marlborough, sold No7 Brangus steers topping at 278c/kg to average 270c/kg weighing 336kg to return $906. Justin Wickham, Cawarral, sold Droughtmaster steers for 264c/kg weighing 433kg returning $1145.
SG&J Davies, Ubobo, sold Charbray x weaner steers for 310c/kg weighing 286kg returning $888, their weaner heifers made 230c/kg weighing 270kg to return $620.
C&K White, Glenroy, sold Brahman steers for a top of 314c/kg weighing 250kg returning $752. Petann Pastoral Co, Gogango, sold Brahman cows and calves for $1350.
EYCI UPDATE
After a strong rally from mid-2016 through to mid-2017, when the EYCI pushed above 600c/kg carcase weight (cwt) and even breached the 700c mark for several weeks, the benchmark indicator returned to the 500c range, where it has remained for the last nine months. The EYCI lost 60c/kg from November 2017 (580c/kg cwt) through to February 2018 (520c/kg cwt), before receiving a boost following some significant rainfalls in the north in March.