Roma numbers increased 26%, to 828 head. Quality overall was mixed with some good lines of heavy steers and bullocks. The usual exporters were in attendance and operated in a generally dearer market. Heavy grown steers to export slaughter sold to a dearer trend, which also flowed onto cow classes.

Throughput at Dubbo increased 7% week-on-week to 5,500 head. It was a good quality yarding with a strong offering overall. The usual buyers operated and the market was notably competitive for young light weight cattle returning to the paddock.

Numbers were up 6% week-on-week at Bairnsdale, with 591 head offered. It was a mixed quality yarding with finished prime cattle in short supply. The limited selection of lighter weight grown steers and bullocks held steady. The usual buying group was present and operating in a generally firm market.

Consignments eased at Wagga, with 25,000 lambs and 7,600 sheep yarded. Quality remains good across the young lambs. All buyers attended, however not all operated at capacity.

At the conclusion of Thursday’s markets:

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

11 September 2015

Sheep breeder Matthew Ipsen hates losing a fight, particularly the one between life and death. So much so, Matthew, who is also a pregnancy scanning technician, set himself a goal of lifting his flock weaning rate by 30%. He studied ways to improve lamb survival with a Nuffield Scholarship as the road to help him get there.

What was happening in your enterprise, and with your clients, that drove you to explore this issue?

I was frustrated by the numbers of lambs that don’t survive, particularly in the first three days, even when producers are applying industry best practices. Clients would ask me why they weren’t getting the weaning percentages they might expect. Also, I just hate losing animals. It’s not solely a production-driven issue; it’s an animal welfare issue as well.

11 September 2015

Six beef producers stepped away from their properties and into the live export market this month, for an MLA/LiveCorp-funded tour to Indonesia.

Northern Territory producers Allison and Greg Dakin, Queensland’s Ross and Natalie Olive, and Ben Mills and Caitlin U’Ren from WA saw all aspects of the beef supply chain, including:

11 September 2015

Goat prices have continued to rise in recent weeks and are now at record levels – averaging 463¢/kg cwt, with highs of 500¢/kg cwt for 8kg + carcases, according to MLA’s latest over-the-hooks report.

Supply has remained tight over the past few months following processing highs in March and April 2015 when more than 40,000 head were processed each week. Weather also played a part in the supply shortages with patchy rain across parts of the NSW western division affecting transport, access on properties and the ability to harvest goats, however, these impacts are now easing.

Hurry... Sire nominations for Resource Flock close 18th October!

Nominations are now being accepted by Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA) for the 2016 Resource Flock joining.  While the focus will be on Merinos, Poll Dorsets, Border Leicesters, White Suffolks and Dohnes, all breeds are encouraged to nominate.

The selection criteria will be based on relationships to sires already used in the Resource Flock, genetic diversity, and index values. We will require a minimum of 16 doses + 1 for genotyping of each ram (numbers to be finalised).

Numbers decrease

Cattle consignments in NSW slipped by 2%, week-on-week, for a total of 19,148 head.

Prices firm to dearer

The medium weight vealer steers returning to the paddock averaged 11¢ dearer, with the bulk at 328¢ and the best reaching 354¢/kg. The vealer heifers remained firm to 5¢ dearer, to sell from 269¢ to 311¢/kg.

The medium weight yearling steers to the lotfeeder orders sold 2¢ to 10¢ dearer, to mostly make from 325¢ to 334¢, with the best reaching 346¢/kg. The heavier end the same orders slipped 2¢ to 3¢/kg. The bulk of the unfinished yearling heifers trended 2¢ to 4¢ dearer, making around the 301¢ to 310¢ range, and the best reached 339¢/kg. The prime conditioned younger cattle to the butchers sold firm, with the best reaching 384¢/kg.

Lambs

Lamb consignments throughout NSW slipped by 4% week-on-week, for a total of 112,806 head.

New season trade weight lambs trended $2 to $5 cheaper, making from $106 to $146/head, or an average price of 582¢ to 584¢/kg cwt.

Trade weight older lambs slipped $3 to $4, ranging from $90 to $140/head, and attained an average price from 550¢ to 552¢/kg cwt.

Yardings rise

Consignments lifted in Queensland this week, with 18,694 yarded by the conclusion of Thursdays markets, with a further 2,600 head expected to sell at CQLX Gracemere tomorrow.

Dalby and Roma Store yarded 5,863 head and 7,831 head, respectively, while supply at Emerald lifted to 2,000 head. Roma Prime yarded 828 head, up around 200 head week-on-week, while Warwick consigned 1,055 head. Both Toowoomba markets yarded similar supplies week-on-week.

Grown cattle prices rise

Most C2 calves to restockers were 21¢ lower, averaging 317¢, while D2 lines were 4¢ cheaper, on 285¢/kg. Light weight D2 vealer steers to restockers were unchanged, on 289¢, while C2 vealer heifers of the same weight to slaughter eased 2¢, to 289¢/kg.