Weekly Cattle Market Update: AuctionsPlus Reports Significant Changes
350 Angus x Brahman backgrounder heifers from St George Qld selling for 466c, 468c, and 471c/kg, averaging 222kg.
Cattle listings increased by 35% on AuctionsPlus this week, totaling 12,539 head. However, the clearance rate dropped sharply to 81%, down from 93% the prior week.
Market Trends
Despite some market easing, younger steers and heifers saw overall upward trends. Breeding female results varied across categories.
Steer Prices
Lighter steers (200-280kg) saw a price increase of 37c/kg, averaging 602c/kg; however, only 59% of the 972 head offered were sold. Heavy feeder steers (+400kg) increased by 17c, averaging 506c, with 78% of the 1982 head offered finding buyers, indicating stronger demand at the heavier end.
Midweight steers (280-330kg) experienced a slight decrease of 8c/kg, averaging 555c, while clearing 96% of the 927 head offered.
A notable sale included 15 Angus and Angus x Hereford steers (7-9 months) averaging 257kg from Violet Town, VIC, selling for 606c/kg to a buyer near Euroa, VIC.
Additionally, a larger line of 255 Santa and Santa-cross feeder steers weighing 474kg from Jundah, Central Western Qld, made 489-491c/kg.
Heifer Insights
Heifer results were largely positive, particularly for those weighing 280-330kg, which increased by 30c to average 488c and cleared the entire offering of 1,250 head. Conversely, lighter heifers (less than 200kg) experienced a significant drop of 180c, indicating diminished buyer interest for younger stock.
Heifers weighing 330-400kg saw an increase of 11c, averaging 478c, with 89% of the 1,694 offered sold.
One highlight included a line of 102 Angus x Droughtmaster heifers (8-14 months) averaging 286kg from Kogan, QLD, selling for 490c/kg to a buyer near Texas, NSW.
Larger heifer lines also performed well, with 350 Angus x Brahman backgrounder heifers (7-10 months) averaging 222kg from St George, QLD, selling for 466c, 468c, and 471c/kg.
Breeding Females
The supply of breeding females remained low, presenting a mixed picture. PTIC (Pregnant, tested in calf) cows improved in average price by $419, now averaging $2,454. Meanwhile, SM (Suckling) heifers and calves faced the greatest decline, with their average price dropping by $494 to $2,373/pair.
Better prices were reported for SM cows & calves, which increased by $206, averaging $2,962/pair and clearing 86% of the offering of 484 head.
A notable sale featured 41 Angus PTIC cows (4-6 years old) averaging 607kg from Padthaway, SA, bringing in $2,780/head to a buyer near Lucindale, SA.
Source: AuctionsPlus
