Storms in the South West of Wellington on Thursday night and again on Friday night yielded small amounts of precipitation to those who were under the clouds. The majority however virtually received nothing, I measured 1.4mm on Saturday morning, some were lucky enough to receive seven to ten mm. At Dubbo last Thursday, 5975 prime cattle penned in a yarding where cows and young cattle were in the majority in a mostly plain quality yarding.
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Normal upcoming seasonal slowdown in auction offering has buyers scrambling to secure quantity.
Trade young cattle were around firm, light feeder steers were firm, the heavier end rose five cents, feeder heifers lost 12 to 16 cents. Re-stocker young cattle fell 20 cents realising 304 cents for steers and 258 cents for heifers.
Heavy steers were down ten cents, heavy heifers topped at 250 cents, plain conditioned cows were 20 cents cheaper to processors and up to 40 cents cheaper to re-stockers, the better finished cows were two to six cents down.
Quotations Calves 212 to 300 Steer vealers 180 to 304, heifer vealers 108 to 280, steer yearlings 170 to 307, heifer yearlings 176 to 283, heavy steers 130 to 308, bullocks 222 to 269, heavy heifers 110 to 251, light cows 43 to 144, medium cows 50 to 185, heavy cows 165 to 215, bulls 150 to 271.
At Dubbo on Friday 632 store cattle penned in a mixed quality yarding with the market cheaper. Steer weaners were $50 cheaper selling from $250 to $710 to avg $488 or 221 cents per Kg. The very best of the heifer weaners were close to firm, overall though they fell $15 and ranged from $195 to $620 to avg $420 or 191 cents per Kg. PTIC cows traded from $405 to $545 to avg $489.
Cows and calves were $150 cheaper realising from $495 to $980 for a pen of angus unjoined cows made from $270 to $960 to avg $411. At Dubbo on Monday 16,970 lambs penned in a fair quality yarding with a reasonable selection of both trade and heavy lambs throughout.
Plain lambs showing the effect of the season were also present. Processor light lambs rose $1 to $4, trade lambs gained $6 to $7, heavy lambs lost $6 to $10, merino lambs improved by $8, with the trade weights making $105 to $134, restocker lambs were dearer by $4 to $6, hoggets reached $150.
Quotations Light lamb $38 to $110, medium lamb $104 to $124, heavy lamb $118 to $140, supermarket lamb $125 to $163, export lambs $162 to $197. 9045 mutton penned in a fair quality yarding with the lighter sheep $2 to $5 better and the medium to heavy sheep rising $7 to $13.
Quotations Light ewes $17 to $88, medium ewes $80 to $150, heavy ewes $97 to $190, light wethers $66 to $78, medium wethers $83 to $135, heavy wethers $120 to $180. Rams $70 to $109, ram lambs $42.
Shute Bell report that last weeks market continued the strong finish from the previous week. Gains were made over both selling days and by the close of the week the 21 to 25 micron indicators all finished in record territory. The normal upcoming seasonal slowdown in auction offering combined with what would have to be an all time low for wool held in brokers stores across the country has buyers scrambling to secure quantity.
Wool production has been revised down by two per cent for the expected volume of the Australia clip compared to its December forecast, 38,275 bales were sold last week for a passed in rate of 3.4 per cent. Forward market prices tracked upward before the physical market even opened last week with short dated contracts changing hands close to the physical markets close. The Northern region indicator closed at 1881 cents per Kg clean a risk of 35 cents.