Mareeba Combined Agents penned a total of 245 head for Tuesday's prime and store cattle sale. Numbers were back slightly on the previous week. 53 steers averaged 218c/kg with the top price of 292.2c going to a pen of very good Brahman steers from Lotus Glen Prison, which returned $917/head. Local trade steers were limited in numbers and didn't hit the high of 267c of the previous week. 24 heifers averaged 146c with top price of 225c sold to the local trade. 49 cows averaged 166c with the best value reaching 216c for a pen of three going to the local trade.
One major northern export processor re-entered the market this week mainly due to some gaps appearing in the northern kill. 70 bulls averaged 144c with a top price of 221c paid for a single bull going to the export slaughter market. Store heifers and store males struggled to generate much competition. 16 yearling heifers averaged 84c to a top of 117c and young males sold to a top of 174c.