Weekly Cattle Market Insights: Trends and Pricing Updates

Market Overview

This week on AuctionsPlus, medium and heavier steers and heifers saw price increases in cents per kilogram (c/kg). However, only 59% of a total offering of 18,266 head found buyers.

The offering size this week was one of the largest seen in recent months, showing a slight increase compared to last week.

State Purchasing Trends

Queensland continued to dominate purchasing activities, securing 4,350 head. Buyers from New South Wales followed closely behind with 3,000 head. Notably, Western Australia exhibited significant growth in purchases, reaching 1,050 head, while South Australia recorded an increase to 1,450 head.

Supply Insights

On the listings front, Western Australia also reported the largest surge in national supply, climbing to 1,705 head, with Victoria coming in second at 2,500 head.

Steer Performance

The performance of light steers deviated from the upward trend, with those weighing 200-280kg declining 19c/kg to an average of 560c/kg, successfully clearing 86% of an offering of 1,936 head. Heavy feeders, weighing over 400kg, saw a robust increase of 25c, averaging 504c/kg, although only 55% of the 2,274 head offered were sold.

Steers weighing 280-330kg experienced an offering of 2,063, with a clearance rate of 50% and a 3c increase to average 557c/kg.

Highlighted Sales

One notable transaction involved a line of 68 Angus steers aged 7-8 months from Armidale, NSW, averaging 258kg, which fetched $1,700 or 658c/kg destined for a buyer near Toowoomba, QLD.

Additionally, the previously mentioned 250 EU-eligible Santa steers returned 608c/kg, while the 180 heifer siblings achieved 476c/kg.

Heifer Market Trends

Heifers generally followed a similar pattern to steers, with heavier lines demonstrating some price growth. Feeder heifers over 400kg increased by 8c to average 462c/kg, though they cleared only 28% of the limited offering of 297 head. For heifers weighing 280-300kg, there was a 23c increase, bringing the average to 473c/kg, clearing 65% of the 1,439 head offered.

Conversely, an offering of 51 F4 Wagyu steers aged 8-18 months, which averaged 247kg, and 43 heifer sisters averaging 225kg attracted no bids and were passed in for $1,390 and $1,180, respectively.

Breeding Female Prices

The market for breeding females largely trended upwards in value. An offering of 965 PTIC heifers saw an average increase of $808 per head, totaling $2,613, with only 28% clearing. PTIC cows had an offering of 716 head, clearing 41%, with prices rising $226 to average $2,797.

Station-mated cows and calves totaled 674 pairs, achieving an 86% clearance rate while increasing in average price by $206 to $3,130.

For example, 20 Angus PTIC heifers, aged 26-27 months and averaging 456kg from Mansfield, VIC, sold for $3,560 to a buyer near Buffalo River, VIC.

Source: AuctionsPlus