"Going... Going... Wannem...? All gone... Sold!
Cattle sales have been going at full throttle all year and as we head into the new-season weaner sales from January 5 producers wonder what sort of reception their progeny will receive.
The consensus is bright for breeders and not so much for processors as demand will continue to outweigh supply.
Bids on light calves have climbed above 1100 cents a kilogram liveweight, feeder steers now make more than $2400 while big bullocks nudge beyond $2700.
At present, restockers in Dalby and Roma, Qld are driving the Eastern Young Cattle Indicator to new record highs, currently paying 1278c/kg carcase weight (more than 600c/kg liveweight) for young cattle, which is a 180c/kg cwt premium to the price feedlots are paying.
CQ Pastoral on the Clarence and Macleay sold a run of 60 Angus cross steers last week to average $2243. Calves out of the same cows by the same blood bulls brought just $800 a head during 2019.
At Inverell Philip Frame said he secured a deal for delivery in the new year of a B-double load of flatback cross heifers 420kg for 610c/kg liveweight going onto feed at Condamine, Qld.
Then there are the cows with calves. If anyone doubts the veracity of today's market just take a gander at the last Tamworth store sale on Friday when Angus 100 units, sporting Hazeldean blood, were knocked down for $5000 each - a cool half a million dropped on cattle at a time when the market is flush beyond belief.
Traders working on weight gain and grid prices continue to factor-in a fall - surely there must come a fall - and yet they are still able to turn a dollar. While the risk is high the margins are there - where else can a business person get 15 - 20 per cent on their money excepting Bitcoin, uranium shares and the like.
For the first time at the Wodonga weaner sales we will see Angus Verified calves offered for sale with the proven blockchain technology a real attractant for those interested in consistent quality. Wouldn't it be nice to see something similar offered for Hereford? High prices attract new interest, as evidenced by the likes of expanded beef reporting in financial circles. There are new players circling the yards looking to add diversity to their agricultural portfolio and it is likely we will see some new fences strung up across parts of marginal cropping lands in 2022 as those farmers seek to capitalise on what appears to be a never ending trajectory.
At Tia River via Walcha, Owen Macaway from Macaway Pastoral, says there remains a lot of faith in next year's prime market.
"Nobody dreamt the market would go this high. With the season there is confidence. I'd expect the new year to kick off brighter than ever."
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