Buyer demand and wet weather to influence northern cattle market return

While prices in the north in 2022 experienced softer trends compared to the record breaking 2021 season, its performance remained strong despite significant volatility.

Already, most of northern Australia has experienced an active monsoon period with widespread rain and flash flooding in the new year, which is certain to impact cattle movements and key livestock routes.

Prophurst Livestock agent Ian Bradford of Mareeba said cattle numbers were expected to be light, which would mean minimal competition from buyers.

"JBS are open at the end of the month, but they're still pretty well booked solid, so there won't be a lot of competition there for a little while, so price for heavy cattle will be back," Mr Bradford told the North Queensland Register.

"Another telling factor will be if the live exporters come north or not.

"Live exporters usually do come north, but we haven't got any orders on our books at the moment and they wont come if they aren't guaranteed numbers so it holds them at bay until it dries up enough."

While the recommencement of Roma cattle sales on Tuesday gave some insight to opening prices, Mr Bradford said all eyes would be on Charters Towers next week.

"We don't know if we'll run our first Mareeba sale in the first week of February, it all depends on the rain and numbers offered," he said.

"A guiding factor of the northern cattle market will be how Charters Towers will perform, when it returns on January 18."

With northern Australia and the Gulf of Carpentaria enjoying a stellar start to wet season, feed availability will influence whether people offload, he said.

"I think there's plenty of feed around, and I think gone are the days of people holding off on selling their cattle because they don't have to feed," Mr Bradford said.

"There's feed all over Australia, so it'll be priced to what people sell and buy for.

"If people can get cattle out and they've got plenty of feed around, they might sell them but it's more likely they'll hold on to their cattle, because they don't have to sell."

Queensland Rural's Luke Hickmott said the early wet would mean there wouldn't be any big lines offered by vendors in the north for some time.

"At the end of 2022, the cattle market dropped back a bit in price and I think we've dropped now probably another 40 cents in heavy cattle (kill wise)," Mr Hickmott said.

"I'm not 100pc sure on how the store market will open this year, but I've got a felling they will be slightly back too.

"Cattle from the local suppliers will kick us off but I can't see any big lines coming in from the north, due to the rain.

"Coming into May, you start to see a bit more movement for cattle up that way, but having an early wet like this, it might be a bit longer.

"We're getting a few number of cattle booked for Malanda and Innisfail sales (January 20, 21), which is good for the start of the season.

"...if people have the grass it'll be a good start for them to get some cattle in the paddock.

"I'd like to think by March we might see the market lift, but anything could happen."