Cattle Market Update: AuctionsPlus Sees 39% Decrease in Listings

This week, cattle listings on AuctionsPlus saw a significant decrease of 39%, with a total of 13,567 head offered. Despite the drop in listings, the clearance rate improved, rising to 80% from last week’s 63%.

The resilient market was buoyed by strong buyer competition, especially for breeding females. Recent rains across southern grazing regions have contributed to renewed confidence, leading to increased clearance rates and strengthened prices across various categories.

State-by-State Purchasing Activity

On the purchasing front, Queensland increased its buying activity by 35%, securing 4,000 head. In contrast, New South Wales experienced a significant 35% decline in purchases, totaling 6,730 head, while South Australia also reported a decrease.

In terms of listings, Queensland was the only state to see an uptick, increasing by 11%. New South Wales listings dropped by 50%, with Victoria seeing a 28% reduction.

Weekly Performance of Steers and Heifers

The weaner and yearling sale this week accounted for 9,500 head, achieving an impressive 89% clearance rate. Steers in the 280–330kg range saw the most significant price increase, averaging 32c/kg higher at 434c, with a strong demand from restockers leading to a clearance rate of 89% from 1,590 head sold.

Conversely, heavier feeder steers weighing over 400kg dropped by 9c/kg to an average of 419c, with a lower clearance of 44% on a small offering of 371 head. Steers in the 330-400kg range averaged 416c, down 13c from last week, clearing 87% from an offering of 733 head.

Interestingly, light steers under 200kg lost 36c/kg this week, averaging 372c, with only a 25% clearance. In contrast, steers in the 200-280kg range comprised nearly 2,500 head, achieving a 95% clearance and averaging 436c, up 25c from the previous week.

Heifer Market Continues to Strengthen

In the heifer segment, entries in the 280–330kg category rose by 4c to average 338c, achieving an 88% clearance from just over 1,000 entries. Heifers in the 330–400kg range saw a more robust increase of 25c, averaging 351c, supported by a high clearance rate of 93% from 703 head sold.

Additionally, heifers in the 200–280kg category increased by 33c to average 368c, clearing 83% of listings. A notable transaction included 78 Angus heifers aged nine months, averaging 183kg, sold for 449c/kg or $820 each, destined for a buyer near Warialda, NSW.

Breeding Females Stand Out

The breeding female market was particularly strong this week, with widespread rain encouraging producers to initiate or accelerate their herd rebuilding plans. PTIC heifers surged by $442 to average $1,941, clearing 89% of total listings, which included 761 head.

PTIC cows also gained traction, reflecting a $104 increase to average $2,195, with a 56% clearance from 1,200 catalogued. Notably, NSM heifers and calves experienced a price hike of $215 to $2,531, while SM heifers and calves exhibited the largest weekly surge, increasing by $715 to reach an average of $2,135 with a full clearance rate.

A standout offering included 50 Angus cows aged 31-33 months, averaging 562kg from Molong, NSW, fetching $2,400, bound for a buyer near Gunnedah.

Source: AuctionsPlus