Vic weekly cattle summary

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Cattle yardings rise

Cattle saleyard throughput across the state lifted 20%, to 11,950 head, to remain roughly in line with year-ago levels. The increase was driven by greater throughput at the large centres of NVLX Barnawartha, Shepparton and Leongatha, which increased 29%, 22% and 24%, respectively, to 2,635 head, 2,200 head and 2,155 head. Pakenham increased 56%, to 1,758 head, and Warrnambool lifted 30%, to 788 head.

Meanwhile, Bairnsdale declined 11%, to 875 head, and Camperdown was back 17%, at 573 head. Ballarat and Colac yarded 505 head and 461 head, respectively, back 2% and 7% week-on-week.

Slaughter last week, however, continued to track below year-ago levels, with about 27,000 head processed – 4,200 head fewer than this time last year.

Cattle prices continue lift

Across Victoria, cattle prices mostly continued their dearer trend. Selling to a mixed trend, yearling steers were the exception, with heavy C2 lines to feeder buyers up 3¢, averaging 299¢, while the C3 portion to the trade declined 6¢, averaging 302¢/kg. Medium D3 yearling heifers to slaughter improved 10¢, averaging 279¢, while heavy lines to the same orders gained 2¢, averaging 280¢/kg. Heavy C3 yearling heifers averaged 292¢, up 10¢ week-on-week, and peaked at 320¢/kg.

Heavy C3 grown steers to slaughter improved 5¢, averaging 311¢, while D3 bullocks were unchanged, at 308¢/kg. Medium (540kg+) D3 grown steers gained 5¢, averaging 267¢, while similar weight D2 manufacturing dairy steers improved 4¢, averaging 242¢/kg. 

Cows also sold to a dearer trend, with the heavy portion recording the strongest gains and most lines making in excess of 200¢/kg. Medium D3 beef cows averaged 233¢, up 3¢, while the E1 dairy portion made 148¢, back 7¢/kg on last week. Heavy D1 dairy cows improved 6¢, averaging 195¢, while the same weight D3 beef cows gained 2¢, averaging 235¢/kg.

Note: All yardings and prices referenced from MLA’s National Livestock Reporting Service (NLRS) reported saleyards.