Many vendors at the Wodonga weaner sales last week were rewarded with prices they had never seen before.
It was pretty easy to pick out a vendor - they were the ones with the smiles, while the buyers had a worried crease on the forehead as they double checked the prices and their budgets.
Joy and Rob Mackie, "Kaputar Park", Gerogery, were more than keen to have The Land take their photo after such a successful sale.
They sold 21 Angus steers for $1310 and 17 Angus heifers for $1210.
All their cattle were eight to nine months.
Also, thrilled with the sale were Tim and Jessica Scott, Table Top Angus, Table Top, who bred the cows that produced the weaners.
Goat prices hit 700c/kg
Over-the-hooks goat prices have surged once again this week due to limited supplies.
The top end of the market for all categories weighing more than eight kilograms hit 700 cents a kilogram (carcase weight) according to National Livestock Reporting Service figures.
This has widened the price range ever further and now sits between 520c/kg and 700c/kg.
It also forced up the average to 608c/kg.
At this stage, there is little sign of the market cooling in the short term.
Holiday trading on Wooltrade
THE three per cent drop in the Australian dollar during the Christmas and new year break enticed exporters to purchase via Wooltrade.
Wooltrade’s Tom Rookyard said the online selling platform sold 976 bales during the period. He said 17- and 19-micron fleece wool sold up to 1714c/kg and 1650c/kg, while 20- and 21-micron fleece sold up to 1479c/kg and 1466cc/kg.
The top priced lot was 13.7-micron EXFINE SUPAAA Merino fleece, with 0.3 per cent vegetable matter and 74mm in length. It was branded Karalta/M ASWGA AB/467, offered by Landmark Melbourne and sold for 6844c/kg.
Tight supply pushes up lamb rates
Lambs sold direct to processors were up slightly on pre-Christmas levels according to a weekly report from Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA).
MLA said tighter supplies across the state this week were expected to keep rates at the current level.
Lamb weighing 18 to 20 kilograms ranged from 500 to 530 cents a kilogram, while those from 20kg to 24kg were on 520c/kg to 540c/kg.
Any lambs heavier than 24kg ranged from 480c/kg to 540c/kg and averaged 520c/kg.
New tagging for Victoria
There’s been a few changes to the identification requirements of sheep and goats in Victoria when they are sold or transferred.
Radio frequency identification (RFID) tagging of all sheep and goats born in Victoria from January 1 started this year.
The scanning will commence in saleyards from July 1 and all tagged animals must be read by March 31, 2018.
Property to property transfers is also to commence March 31, 2018.
Store lamb in demand
There was a small listing of 8483 sheep and lambs offered on AuctionsPlus last week.
In summary, store lambs weighing 32 to 34 kilograms sold for $97 to $106 averaging $102 or 304 cents a kilogram (liveweight).
The 36kg to 39kg store lambs sold for $105.40 to $109.50 averaging $107.50 or 285c/kg, while 43kg to 46kg sold for $107 to $115.50 averaging $111 or 247c/kg. Store lambs weighing more than 54kg sold for $124 or 230c/kg.
