Mount Isa experiencing best season in 50 years

Elders Mount Isa livestock agent Sonny Siemer has reported that the Mount Isa region is "experiencing one of the best seasons since the 70s".

With a multitude of grass, graziers are holding onto their stock to best capitalise on this year's season, waiting for cattle prices to climb.

"It is very good. With late wet season rain and cooler weather the feed has preserved and there is a bit of concern there is a bit too much feed going into the dry season with potential for some big bush fires towards the end of the year," Mr Siemer said.

"Producers are still off loading cattle in drips and drabs. There isn't a lot of steers getting sold, but bigger mickys, older cows, things that we can tidy up through the sales are slowly coming through.

"Predominantly with our main lines with the feed that is around graziers are sitting on them and putting weight on the cattle while the grass is there."

Mr Siemer said the market nearly recorded another low, but there was a premium for organic cattle.

"The market took a bit of an over correction today on light cattle across a couple of saleyard facilities. We thought we might have seen the bottom but nearly recorded another low today (August 23) for lighter cattle," he said.

"We are putting a bit of time into the organic side of things, because we are able to sell organic cattle and get a premium for them.

"It is good to see they are finally getting through the process of being certified and getting those higher prices."

Mr Siemer said he had seen the knock-on effects of live export closure to Vietnam.

"There is a few issues with the feeder market, I think that's also pulling down the price of light cattle at the moment," he said.

"Prior to this the Northern Territory was quite strong for light cattle to go on the flood pains, with the quality of the Queensland brahman we were moving quite a few to the flood plains in the Northern Territory but since the Indonesian stuff, it has pulled up a bit now too.

"Since Vietnam has opened up we are seeing some handy prices for the live export bullocks."

Despite a drier summer predicted, Mr Siemer said producers were still holding onto their cattle.

"Graziers are trying to counteract the concern for bushfires by chewing the country out as much as they can.

"Cattle numbers are strong in the area and we are sustaining that and trying to get some grass chewed out before the start of the wet season."

Charters Towers graziers are also holding onto stock, as the market eases.

"We haven't seen big numbers of cattle and the boats are probably helping with that as well," Queensland Rural livestock agent Dustyn Fitzgerald said.

"I think there will be some cattle to come still, but it has been a steady year in terms of cattle numbers. The market has come back a bit, eased up in Charters Towers but that is the general consensus everywhere at the moment."

Mr Fitzgerald said smaller numbers also affected the market in Charters Towers.

"If you don't have the big numbers coming through we don't have as good of a result," he said.

"We're expecting the market to continue this trend unless graziers out west towards Cloncurry and Mount get rid of a few bullocks.

"Live export is still taking slaughter cattle but there won't be any feeder cattle going out and we don't know when that could change.

"Graziers did need a couple of months because the last feeder boat we did they were scrambling to get feeder cattle and it's not going to hurt too much for about another month, but we want to see one in a few months."

Mr Fitzgerald said there was money to be made by investing in light heifers.

"You can buy a light heifer for $300-$400 now so there is money to be made in that," he said.

"Fellas out in the west will be the next ones to buy a few, but also have to offload a few themselves yet."