Mareeba Combined Agents penned a total of 849 head for this week’s prime and store sale. Numbers improved by 272 head. The sale was attended by two major meat processors, two local wholesale processors and a smaller group of traders, local growers and fatteners.
Values eased across all lines this week except for young store males which improved by 8c and cows and calves saw one pen top at $1100 per unit. Local trade steers lost 13c and export slaughter bullocks were back 21c on the previous week.
Heifers and cows suitable for the local trade lost ground, local trade heifers were back 4c on the previous week’s top of 239c and local trade cows values retreated by 24c on the best of last week at 244c. Bulls suitable for slaughter were back 14c and cows suitable for slaughter reported a 7c drop on the previous week.
Local trade steers sold from 274c to 279c, local trade heifers ranged from 214c to 235c and local trade cows made from 200c to 220c. Ox suitable for slaughter sold from 180c to 270c, cows suitable for slaughter made from 175c to 236c, while bulls suitable for slaughter ranged from 150c to 246c.
Store steers topped at 274c, store heifers sold to 240.2c, younger store bulls reached 281c, yearling heifers ranged from 202.4c to 263.2c, yearling steers sold from 245c to 274.2c and cows and calves sold to $1100/unit.