Nutrien Ag Solutions Mareeba and Tolga attracted 2174 head to its special store sale on Friday.
Agents noted cattle were drawn from largely northern areas with limited local Tablelands lines on offer.
Nutrien Ag Solutions Charters Towers livestock agent Brent Williams travelled to Mareeba to auction the sale and said prices remained on par with other sale centres across the state.
"The sale would have been back on previous weeks, but compared to Charters Towers on that same week, it definitely remained firm," he said.
"There was a limited panel of buyers and only a handful of local restockers in attendance."
Mr Williams said there were a number of contributing factors as to why prices had eased.
"Emerald was back and Blackall isn't having a sale this week. There is definitely a little bit of uncertainty with it all," he said.
"I think FMD plays a part and there is a little bit of doubt regarding it all. It's hard not to see it when it's on every media site or the news you put on in the morning.
"The meatworks are still having the cattle thrown at them, which would definitely put a bit of uncertainty into the restocker's mind that there is an abundance of meatworks cattle that they aren't able to keep on top of.
"There are multiple factors."
Mr Williams said the yarding consisted of predominantly pastoral and northern Brahman cattle.
"There was a fair weight range of cattle. There was definitely some older type steers that made up 300 to 400 head of the yarding and a fair run of good lightweight mickeys and heifers."
Calves over 80kg topped 356c/kg and averaged 329c/kg to return an average of $653/hd, yearling steers up to 200kg topped 342c/kg to average 322c/kg and returned an average of $596/hd, while yearling steers between 200kg to 300kg topped at 364c/kg to average 343c/kg and returned an average of $797/hd. Yearling steers over 400kg topped at 284c/kg and returned $1144/hd.
Yearling heifers up to 200kg topped at 334c/kg to average 322c/kg and returned an average of $489/hd, and yearling heifers between 200kg to 300kg topped 334c/kg to average 310c/kg and return an average of $672/hd.
Steers up to 200kg topped at 220c/kg to return $319/hd, while steers in the 200kg to 300kg range hit 362c/kg to average 320c/kg, and returned an average of $821/hd. Steers between 300kg and 400kg topped at 366c/kg to average 332c/kg and return $1081/hd, while steers between 400kg to 600kg topped at 280c/kg and returned $1247/hd.
Heifers up to 300kg topped at 330c/kg and averaged 312c/kg to return an average of $666/hd, heifers between 300kg to 400kg topped 278c/kg to return $862/hd. Bulls between 200kg to 300kg topped 254c/kg to average 246c/kg and return $659/hd, while bulls between 300kg to 500kg topped 348c/kg to return $1159/hd.
Zoe Thomas
Northern based journalist at North Queensland Register and Queensland Country Life.
Northern based journalist at North Queensland Register and Queensland Country Life.
