
A total head of 803 were yarded at the Mareeba combined agents' prime and store sale on July 5.
The yarding consisted of 531 store cattle and 272 prime cattle.
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Store cattle consisted of 128 steers, 181 mickeys, 210 heifers and 7 cows and calves. Prime cattle consisted of 42 bullocks, 2 heifers, 178 cows and 50 bulls.
Agents' noted cattle consisted of heavy bullocks and quality cows with low numbers of heifers and bulls not yarded due to recent wet weather.
Cattle were offloaded from local regions and the Gulf country.
Queensland Rural agent Jake Smith said the sale was a rain reduced yarding.
"There was a tick of over 800 cattle," he said.
"We've seen up to three inches of rain in this part of the country.
"It's the first time in probably 30-years that we've seen rain at this time of year.
"It's very widespread in the north and it rained all day while we were selling, but we did have a full gallery of buyers."
Prime saleyard highlights:
Agents' noted bullocks were quoted 20 cents easier, heifers 10 cents easier and cows 2 cents easier on last week's rates.
Heavy bullocks over 400kg topped 390c/kg to average 375c/kg and returned an average of $1911/hd, while medium heifers up to 400kg topped 356c/kg to average 346c/kg and returned $1162/hd. Heavy heifers over 400kg topped 344c/kg to average 335c/kg and returned $1459/hd, while medium cows up to 400kg topped 364c/kg to average 284c/kg and returned an average of $1008/hd.
Heavy cows over 400kg topped 328c/kg to average 312c/kg and returned $1765/hd, bulls over 500kg topped 316c/kg to average 286c/kg and returned an average of $1575/hd.
Bullocks topped at 389c/kg on account of PJ and JA Cranwell to weigh 561kg and return $2184/hd.
The top pen of cows sold for 310c/kg weighing 537kg to return $1665/hd.
Bulls sold on account A. Vickers topped 394c/kg weighing 345kg to return $1360/hd.
Store saleyard highlights:
Agents' noted store runs were made up of mixed quality cattle out of the Gulf and local surrounding areas.
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Steers up to 200kg topped at 526c/kg to average 473c/kg and return $755/hd, steers between 200kg and 300kg topped at 498c/kg to average 444c/kg and return $966/hd, while steers between 300kg to 400kg topped at 488c/kg to average 392c/kg and return an average of $1377/hd.
Mickeys up to 200kg topped at 150c/kg and returned $255/hd, mickeys between 200kg and 300kg topped at 400c/kg to average 382c/kg and return $1059/hd, while mickeys between 300kg to 400kg topped at 406c/kg to average 322c/kg and return an average of $1171/hd.
Heifers up to 200kg topped at 464c/kg and averaged 429c/kg to return an average of $752/hd, heifers between 200kg to 300kg topped 408c/kg to average 381c/kg and returned $1005/hd.
The next Mareeba prime and store sale is scheduled for July 12 depending on the weather.

Zoe Thomas
Northern based journalist at North Queensland Register and Queensland Country Life.
Northern based journalist at North Queensland Register and Queensland Country Life.