Cattle numbers double, some prices lift

With no sale last week numbers lifted to 883 at Monday's cattle sale with yearlings making up the majority.

Quality was mixed but fair with some good runs of well bred feeder cattle offered along with the secondary types. Well finished cattle were limited in number and the usual buyers were present and competing.

The better bred yearling steers to feed lifted 10c while the secondary types eased 5c/kg. Middleweights ranged in price from 480c to 630c with heavyweights receiving from 510c to 632c/kg.

Steers to processors sold from 440c to 583c/kg. Yearling heifers to processors received from 530c to 605c/kg with those to feed selling from 530c to 570c/kg.

Heavy steers were limited and reached 480c whilst grown heifers sold from 375c to 420c/kg.

Cows slipped 15c to 18c/kg with heavy 3 score selling from 328c to 355c and 2 score selling from 316c to 335c/kg.

Total yarding was 19400, down 4450 with 4100 sheep and 15,300 lambs

Numbers fell this sale with lambs showing the change. Lamb quality was very mixed with both well finished and plainer lambs penned.

The usual buyers were present and competing in a dearer market particularly on the shorn better finished types.

Trade weight lambs were limited in number but sold $8-$10/head better. Lambs from 18-24kg sold from $154 to $209/head.

Heavy lambs to 26kg received from $191 to $217/head. Extra heavyweights were $5 better to range in price from $208 to $267/head.

Carcase prices averaged from 760c to 820c/kg.

Mutton numbers were made up of mostly Merinos and prices remain strong.

Heavy Merino ewes sold from$173 to $215/head with crossbreds receiving from $165 to $265/head.

- Market Reporter, Krystelle Ridley

VC Reid reports that the pig sale on Friday, June 17, saw sow numbers more than double by 115 head.

Quality was good and the market held firm.

Sow prices were firm, pork and bacon were firm, suckers were firm for the heavier end and $10 dearer for the lighter types.