Throughput at Roma Prime dropped considerably, with just 645 head of mostly cows and bulls offered, less than half of the previous week. Cow prices lifted while bulls remained close to firm.

Dubbo yarded 3,650 head, back 42% week-on-week following good rain earlier in the week. A good selection of prime catted were offered, with only a fair percentage of the plainer types. The market was strong, with EYCI eligible cattle averaging just shy of 600¢/kg cwt.

Consignments at Bairnsdale declined 10¢, to 524 head. Quality was mixed and some buyers weren’t active due to the lack of supply in some categories.

28 August 2015

Want to identify options for improving your beef business and estimate future cash flows?

A two-day workshop at Alpha next month will assist producers to model their beef breeding herd and test scenarios to improve profit. 

28 August 2015

Grant and Annette Burbidge run a 20,000-head self-replacing Merino flock on 1,600ha between Tarcutta and Tumbarumba on the south-west slopes of NSW.

In this series where producers share their current challenges and the strategies to manage and grow their business, Grant shares his philosophy to lift productivity and profitability on a per hectare, rather than per head, basis.

28 August 2015

Pasture agronomy consultant Jim Virgona, based at Wagga Wagga, NSW has a mantra when it comes to pastures: you can’t manage what you don’t measure.

He told producers at the MLA-sponsored Grassland Society of NSW’s conference at Goulburn in July that managing fertiliser in a grazing system should be underpinned by soil tests to guide efficient input decisions.

28 August 2015

As a global marketing company Meat and Livestock Australia has six international business managers based in key export destinations, each charged with promoting our superior safety and quality systems in order to gain better market access and grow demand for our red meat.

Each month an MLA international business manager will dial in via Skype for a quick catch up of their in-country experiences promoting Australia as a trusted source of safe, traceable and high-quality red meat.

28 August 2015

During the past 10 years, Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA), via the MLA Donor Company, has partnered with Scott Automation & Robotics and processors to develop the automated lamb cutting system, LEAP™. The system uses X-rays images to guide automated saws to precisely cut between specific bones.  This precision increases value by minimising waste, maximising the amount of higher value cuts and has a high throughput up to 10 carcases per minute.

There are two systems:

Yardings ease

The supply of stock, at NLRS reported saleyards in Queensland, experienced a small decline of 12% week-on-week. There was a wide variation in quality at most centres, with some consignments from drought declared far western districts, however the overall standard of the vast majority was generally good.

Young light weight cattle continued to dominate the selling pens, along with a slightly smaller selection of medium weight yearling steers to feed on. The large number of cows penned was dominated by good samples of 3 and 4 score classes. Buyer attendance at most markets was generally good and included the usual exporters and feeder operators. Light rain in places resulted in an increased number of restocker buyers in the market.

Restockers lift light young cattle

The increased restocker competition lifted prices on calves by a further 12¢, with most averaging 311¢ and some pens reaching 345.2¢/kg.

Rain decreases numbers

Cattle consignments in NSW decreased by 41% week-on-week, for a total of 15,279 head.

Lower numbers lift prices

The medium weight vealer steers returning to the paddock improved 16¢, averaging 320¢ after reaching 360¢/kg. The vealer heifers trended 7¢ to 10¢ dearer, to sell from 250¢ to 306¢/kg.

The medium and heavy weight yearling steers to the lot feeder orders sold firm to 3¢ dearer, to average from 322¢ to 325¢, with the best reaching 356¢/kg. The bulk of the unfinished yearling heifers trended marginally higher in price, making around the 290¢ to 315¢/kg range. The prime conditioned younger cattle to the butchers continued to sell at record levels, with the best reaching 373¢/kg.

Muchea supplies rise

WA cattle supply lifted 2% week-on-week, to 2,838 head.

Pastoral cattle again dominated the yarding at Muchea however there were more heifers and cows available. Live export buyers at Boyanup were not active due to already full orders, while some feeder buyers were not in attendance at Mount Barker.

Pastoral cattle dominate

Heavy weight C2 pastoral yearling steers were 5¢ dearer, at 295¢, while light weight D2 pastoral yearling heifers gained 9¢, to average 215¢/kg.

Consignments ease

Throughput in Victorian saleyards slipped 11% week-on-week, to 9,154 head.

Trade cattle prices jump

Heavy C2 vealer steers to slaughter reached 346.6¢ and averaged 320.8¢, to be 1¢ easier, while C3 heavy weight vealer heifers lifted 7¢ to 328.1¢/kg.

Heavy weight C2 yearling steers to feed were 4¢ cheaper on 329.2¢, while C3’s to slaughter gained 7¢, to return 331.6¢/kg. Medium weight yearling heifers to the trade reached 333.2¢ and averaged 312.3¢, up 1¢ and heavy weights gained 3¢, to average 319.4¢/kg.