Rain helps but more needed for local livestock

Wellington has had 25 to 30mm, Mudgee has had similar rainfall; Coonamble and Walgett are also currently getting good rain. What a relief for all concerned.

Thursday's Prime cattle sale at Dubbo saw 2910 head sold to a dearer trend for all grades.

It was a much better yarding than the previous week with some very good runs of bullocks, cows and yearling cattle.

Young cattle to the trade were 5c to 10c dearer, with vealers selling to a top of 332 cents; prime steer yearlings reached 316 cents, while the heifer portion climbed to 307 cents.

Young feeder cattle were up to 10c dearer with the steers topping at 324c and the heifers to 298c. A pen of lightweight store steers rang the bell at 332p/kg.

Grown steers were also on a dearer trend with the prime medium and heavy weights making from 268c to a top of 303c/p/kg.

Similar weight and condition heifers reached a top of 297c.

Cows again were dearer with boner cows selling from 140 to 193c to the processers and 209c to the re stockers.

The better heavier and well finished cows made from 184c to a top of 224c.

Friday's Store cattle sale saw only 440 cattle yarded with the threat of rain hanging around.

There were a few good quality pens of steers and heifers, however cows and calves and dry cows were in short supply.

The smell of rain about not only knocked the numbers about, but it also lifted the market with all categories showing good gains.

Steers were $60 dearer, with a pen of steer weaners selling for $370 to $915 per head for good quality Angus steers.

The steers averaged around $670 per head. The heifer weaners were also dearer selling from $280 for small dry pen of Cross bred calves to a top of $850 for a nice pen of heifers ready to join.

The heifers averaged $515per head or $2.71 per kilo. There were a couple of nice pens of British X cows with first calves at foot topping the sale at $1300 per unit.

While a pen of mixed-aged Murray Grey cows in poor condition with calves at foot reached $1105. PTIC Angus cows off the same property sold for $1075.

Monday's Prime sheep sale yarded 19,850 head, following the very useful weekend rain numbers were back considerably on the expected draw.

It was a fair to good quality yarding, with some top heavy weight lambs yarded along with a reasonable selection of trade weights, Merino lambs were in limited supply.

Compared to the sale of two weeks ago light weight lambs to the processors were $7 to $12 dearer with the 12 to 18kg two scores selling from $60 to $108 per head.

Trade lambs gained momentum as the sale progressed to finish $7 to $11 dearer, with the18 to 23kg three scores selling from $94 to $134per head to average 533c per kg, heavy weight lambs were firm to $4 dearer with the over 22kg 4 scores selling from $113 to $181.50 per head to average around 537c per kg, the few Merino lambs yarded were $15 dearer with the trade weights selling from $93 to $126 per head.

The restockers paid to $113 for young first cross ewes and hoggets sold to $118/head.

There were some good lines of well-finished sheep along with a fair selection of plainer types in a mixed yarding of mutton.

Despite the rain plainer conditioned sheep were $2 to $5 cheaper while the better conditioned sheep were $1 to $3 per head dearer. Two score ewes sold from $20 to $72 while the better 3 and 4 scores sold from $65 to $112per head for both crossbreds and Merinos. Merino wethers sold to $120 per head.

Schute Bell reports the wool market continues to be volatile this week with most micron categories regaining last week's losses and then adding some extra.

The Aussie dollar once again played its part as it retreated against the US dollar on the back of lower than expected inflation figures and fresh talks of further interest rate cuts.

The national offering was considerably smaller than forecast resulting in just 32,468 bales sold for the week with a low 5.5 per cent passed in.

Major buyers included Techwool, PJ Morris and Chinatex. Discounts are beginning to widen on heavier vegetable matter fleece and skirting types with AWEX reporting this week's national Merino Fleece offering carrying more than 1 per cent vegetable matter was at a two year high.

Forward market prices tracked the physical market up but remain at a discount to this week's auction close.

Upcoming auction offerings are now forecast to be below 40,000 bales per week for the next three weeks.

This is down considerably on the corresponding period last season.

With the season to date offering already down 7.2 per cent or roughly 110,000 bales it appears almost certain that this figure will continue to grow.