THE three talked about features of the last week are general rain which has fallen over Queensland and NSW, the cattle market and in particular stud bull sales, and the sheep and lamb market which also continued its good run.
Good rain throughout the Central West has given great hope to producers of livestock and also to grain growers who may by now have finished sowing their winter crops. Creeks and rivers are starting to run for the first time in years and even farm dams are starting to gain much needed run off.
During the past two weeks the two most important Dubbo bull sales have been held with $42,000 being paid for a Shorthorn and $47,000 being paid for a Poll Hereford.
The Shorthorn sale averaged $8125 and the Poll Hereford sale averaged $12,155 – both very healthy averages.
The feeder market has risen and is presently above 340 cents a kilogram for top feeders with light feeders at Dubbo last Thursday making 326.2c/kg to 363.2c/kg and the heavy end selling from 325c/kg to 370.2c/kg with feeder buyers outbidding processors for good quality lines.
Heavy steers and bullocks gained 15c/kg to top at 338.2c/kg and heavy cows topping at 271.2c/kg.
Numbers have been limited in sales of lambs and sheep, the rain reduced the numbers at Dubbo’s Monday sale by half.
A total of 13,205 lambs and 6832 mutton were offered with lambs slightly dearer.
Fewer heavy weights on offer topping at $200.
The bulk of the yarding were trade weights and store lambs ranged from $110 to $155 and the heavier end averaged $148 to $176.
Lambs overall averaged 630c/kg (carcase weight).
Merino lambs sold to $142 and hoggets topped at $135.
In the mutton market it was a slightly dearer trend with medium weights selling from $85 to $118 and best Merino ewes making $100 to $158.
The best cross bred ewes topped at $145, light sheep averaged 380c/kg and heavy sheep 440c/kg.
Forward lamb contracts for July/August are expected to reach the 600c/kg (carcase weight) mark, exceeding the present offer of 560c/kg that was offered for June delivery.
The wool market also took a rise last week with a correction of 8 cents upwards for the Northern Region Indicator to close the week at 1300c/kg.
Gains were made over both selling days with the best support being received by the 19- to 22-micron fleeces.
- Geoff Plasto is a member of Australian Livestock and Property Agents Association (ALPA).
