THE Eastern Young Cattle Indicator's (EYCI) record-breaking run may have stolen all the headlines in the past month, but let's not forget about the cow prices and particularly those being sold to processors via prime cattle sales.
A number of NSW saleyards have recorded what's believed to be individual saleyard records for cows in the past week.
Max and Rose Martin, Hillside, Tottenham, sold Charolais/Santa Gertrudis cows which tipped the scales at 645kg for 385 cents a kilogram (liveweight) at Forbes on Monday.
The cows were sold via Forbes Livestock and Agency Company whose agents, at the time, claimed it was a national record price for full-mouth cows sold to the processors.
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Agent Sam Mackay said the result reflected the strength of the whole current cattle market.
"For several weeks now I have said that the job just cannot get any dearer, and each week here at Forbes it goes up another gear," Mr Mackay said.
Heavy cows were about 9c/kg dearer at Wagga Wagga on Monday and topped at 375c/kg, while cows were 13c/kg dearer at Tamworth, selling to a top of 337c/kg.
By Tuesday morning, word was spreading that the cow market was on the move.
Meat and Livestock Australia market reporter David Monk said the prime heavy cows sold from 355c/kg to 387c/kg and averaged 378c/kg at Carcoar. This was 20c/kg dearer than last week.
The top was also a couple of cents a kilogram dearer than Forbes' record-breaker the day before.
In dollars a head, the market topped at $2610 - not bad for cull cows.
Agents at Gunnedah saleyards also claimed a new record for its selling centre when Santa Gertrudis cows hit 357.2c/kg.
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