Queensland Cattle Market Hits Record Yardings

Queensland auctioneers have recently wrapped up their busiest month of the year, with a flourishing market encouraging the influx of cattle into saleyards.

The cattle numbers in Queensland have seen a steady rise throughout this year, particularly at the Roma and Dalby saleyards, which experienced significant activity.

According to the National Livestock Reporting Service, Ripley Atkinson, StoneX livestock manager, reported that 119,026 cattle were processed through Queensland yards last month. This figure surpasses the September average by an impressive 78,456 head.

Ripley Atkinson

“For most of this year, I’ve been noting that Queensland throughput has been running behind,” Atkinson stated in his weekly email. “The seasonal strength has played a significant role, but as cattle reach saleable weights, and with high prices available, we’ve seen volumes ramp up dramatically.”

September’s figures not only marked the busiest month of the year but also reflected trends over the past two months. This was largely influenced by having five Tuesdays in September, resulting in Roma hosting five sales.

These five sales may have propelled Roma into its most extensive September yarding on record, with 46,377 head sold. The last comparable occurrence was in 2015 when Roma yarded 37,644 head.

TopX Principal Cyril Close

Cyril Close, a principal at TopX in Roma, highlighted a trend where producers are opting to bring cattle to saleyards instead of selling directly to the market.

“I’ve always said that money will muster cattle quicker than a helicopter,” Close remarked. “We are seeing cattle being sent to Roma that usually wouldn’t come here; Dalby is witnessing similar trends, reminiscent of the good old days of large numbers at Roma.”

“Many people are sending their cattle to Roma, allowing us to sort them based on their respective markets, facilitating a single muster while still achieving good prices.”

National Yardings Overview

Reflecting geographic shifts in cattle numbers, September ranked as the second largest month for cattle saleyard activities nationwide this calendar year.

A significant sell-down from southern producers, who missed out on autumn rain, led to 337,917 head yarded nationally in May, compared to 333,745 head last month.

Northern saleyards have experienced gradual increases throughout the year, with the majority surpassing the 10-year average in September. For instance, Blackall yarded an impressive 13,900 head, which is 3,813 above its average, while Dalby saw 26,865 head, soaring 18,957 over its September average.

In NSW, Gunnedah and Tamworth also reported significant increases, with Gunnedah yarding 18,710 head—8,271 above its 10-year September average—and Tamworth at 19,590, 7,737 above its average.