Mareeba Combined Agents penned a total of 539 head at this week's prime and store cattle sale.
Numbers decreased by 527 head on the previous week. Two local processors were present along with three major processors, three traders and a small gallery of local buyers. Most of the local trade steers were taken by export processors.
Local trade heifers were also getting strong competition from the export processors. A pen of seven heifers from the Daintree went to the local trade. Local trade cows were back 11c to 275c/kg, slaughter ox were back 10c from 348c, slaughter cows gained slightly plus 3c on last week and slaughter bulls gained 41c from 284c.
The yarding consisted of 128 steers averaging 301c selling to a top of 340c, 50 bulls averaging 256.6c selling to a top of 325.2c, 84 cows averaging 226.4c selling to a top of 288.2c, 104 heifers averaging 282.1c selling to a top of 329.2c, 50 yearling heifers averaging 236.5c selling to a top of 260.2c and 118 yearling steers averaging 282.9c selling to a top of 322.2c.
