Cattle Market Update: Significant Surges in Offerings and Price Trends

Among larger steer lines offered this week, these 354 Angus backgrounder steers 12-15 months at 280kg from Winton, central western Qld made 565c/kg or $1580.

This week saw a remarkable surge in cattle offerings, with a nearly 40% increase to 16,114 head on Elders’ and Nutrien’s AuctionsPlus online platform. This catalogue ranks in the top 25% of all recorded weeks, although clearance rates eased to 77%.

Market Insights

The market for lighter steers and heifers demonstrated recovery in c/kg pricing after previous declines, while heavier lines remained mostly stagnant or softened in value.

In the steer segment, steers weighing 280–330kg increased by 46c/kg compared to the previous week, averaging 567c/kg, with 70% of the offering of 1,126 head clearing successfully. Lighter steers in the 200-280kg range also saw a strengthening, lifting by 44c, to average 596c, and clearing 89% of the offering of 746 head.

Conversely, heavy feeder steers weighing over 400kg faced a downturn, losing another 13c/kg on top of the previous week’s loss of 26c/kg, averaging 472c/kg from a modest offering of 118 head, which managed a clearance rate of only 79%.

Notable Offers

The offerings for 330-400kg steers struggled as well, only achieving a clearance of 52% from an offering of 771 head and averaging 488c, which was down 8c from the previous week.

Among the standout sales were:

• 69 Angus steers aged 9-10 months averaging 230kg from Mumbannar, SA, selling for $1540/head or 670c/kg.
• A line of 110 Angus steers aged 12-13 months averaging 306kg from Meningie, SA, sold at 598c/kg, with destinations set for a buyer in Apsley, VIC.
• Additionally, 354 Angus backgrounder steers aged 12-15 months at 280kg from Winton, central western Qld fetched 565c/kg or $1580.

Heifer Market Highlights

The heifer market indicated strong demand, particularly among lighter offerings. In categories where small lot sizes did not influence pricing, an offering of 1049 heifers weighing 200-280kg cleared 78%, with prices increasing by 35c to achieve an average of 480c/kg. Heifers in the 280-330kg category produced an offering of 1258, clearing 64% and averaging 493c—an increase of 48c. However, heavier heifers in the 330-400kg range experienced a price drop of 7c, averaging 465c from a modest offering of 512 head, with a clearance of 70%.

Breeding Females Trends

Mixed trends emerged among breeding females, with price fluctuations observed. Non-station mated cows & calves increased by $600 to average $2857, while NSM Heifers & Calves dropped $278 to $2932. Station-mated heifers climbed by $756 to $2108, but the average for PTIC cows saw a decline of $400 to $2056.

Station-mated cows lost $616 to average $2004, and apart from the categories for SM cows and heifers & calves, the remaining breeding female categories faced challenges in achieving satisfactory clearance rates, which ranged from 29% for SM cows & calves to 59% for PTIC heifers.