Extra heavyweights sell to $309 at this week's Forbes sales

CATTLE SALE Monday, January 20 Yarding 2369 (up 758) Numbers jumped at Monday's cattle sale at Forbes' Central West Livestock Exchange with agents yarding 2369 head. Quality was mixed but fair with a handy offering of well bred cattle available. Yearlings made up the majority of the yard along with a good run of cows. The usual buyers were present and competing in an easier market. Yearling steers slipped 10c/kg with feeders paring from 330 to 400c/kg for middle and heavyweights. The finished types to processors sold from 335 to 363c/kg, middleweight heifers held fairly steady to sell from 331 to 355c/kg to feed. Heavyweights were back 10 to 14c with processors paying from 321c to 347c/kg. Heavy steers and bullocks dropped 10c ranging from 310c to 363c/kg. Grown heifers sold from 305 to 335c/kg. Cows held mostly steady with heavy cows from 285 to 313c with plainer types from 282c to 302c/kg. The best heavy bull reached 337c/kg. SHEEP SALE Tuesday, January 21 Yarding 26,500 (down 3400) Numbers fell at Tuesday's sheep sale at the Central West Livestock Exchange with agents yarding 26,500 head. There was 19,100 lambs penned and quality was mixed but fair. There was a good offering of finished trade and heavyweight lambs available along with the plainer secondary types. The usual buyers were present and competing in a market that held steady for the better types but slipped on the secondary lines. Trade weight lambs were back $6 to $10/head with prices ranging from $140 to $200/head. Heavy lambs to 26kg sold from $198 to $223 while extra heavyweights held steady to receive $215 to $309/head. Carcase prices averaged 763 to 815c/kg. The best heavy hoggets reached $200/head. Mutton numbers showed the decrease and quality was very mixed. Prices held up with Merino ewes selling from $57 to $155/head. Crossbreds received from $65 to $154 and Dorper ewes reached $160/head.