Hot weather is predicted up to the time of writing this report storm rain and winds during the Christmas New Year break caused great damage to trees and houses with the Stuart Town, Catombal, Comobella and Bournewood areas being most affected.

The first cattle sale of the year at Dubbo on Thursday produced 3,500 prime cattle penned with yearlings making up the bulk of the yarding.

Cows were also well supplied.

Trade young cattle were cheaper as were feeder cattle, feeder steers sold from 238 to 305 cents while feeder heifers ranged from 220 to 272 cents.

Restocker young cattle lost a little ground with the steers trading from 216 cents to 300 and the young heifers realising 190 to 223 cents per kg. Heavy steers were considerably dearer, heavy heifers reached 269, cows gained 10 cents.

Quotations calves 240, steer vealers 216 to 300, heifer vealers 190 to 264, steer yearling 227 to 305, heifer yearlings 185 to 278, heavy steers 250 to 295, bullocks 258 to 295, heavy heifers 215 to 269, light cows 70 to 175, medium cows 145 to 215, heavy cows 184 to 233, bulls 196 to 240.

Last Friday 315 store cattle penned in the first store cattle sale at Dubbo for 2019.

The yarding consisted principally of steer and heifer weaners with the odd pen of cows and calves.

The steer market was slightly dearer than the 2018 closing sales.

Steer weaners sold from $285 to $650 to average $490 or 251 cents per kg.

The heifer weaners ranged from $172 to $440 to be firm to average $346 or 200 cents per kg. PTIC cows traded from $420 to $1,000.

Cows and calves realised from $465 to $1,010 for a pen of Charolais cows and calves on their first calf.

Dubbo on Monday 22,700 lambs penned in a mixed quality yarding, some good lines of well finished trade and heavy lambs along with large numbers of light weights and hoggets lacking finish.

Processor light lambs fell $5, trade lambs lost $6 to $11, heavy lambs were down $18 to $20.

Merino lambs were $14 cheaper with the few trade types selling from $97 to $137.

Restocker lambs were firm making from $72 to $130, first cross ewe lambs ranged from $120 to $134, hoggets reached $145.

Quotations light young lamb $55 to $112, medium young lamb $109 to $136, one pen of light supermarket lambs made $155, light lamb $62 to $113, medium lamb $100 to $134, heavy lamb $115 to $150, supermarket lamb $133 to $166, light export $165 to $195. 11,900 mutton penned in a much plainer quality yarding where most grades lost $20 to $30.

Quotations light ewes $15 to $77, medium ewes $50 to $124, heavy ewes $64 to $139, light wethers $50 to $70, medium wethers $65 to $111, heavy wethers $120 to $123, rams $42 to $108, ram lambs $59 to $89.

Schute Bell report that last weeks wool market was the first sale for 2019 after sales resumed when the annual 3 weeks recess finished.

There was strong buyer demand evident from the opening, with 47,500 bales being offered and 44,261 bales being sold with a passed in rate of 7%.

Almost all categories closed the week considerably dearer with 20 to 60 cent rises across the board on the first day of sales.

Prices did stabilise and even dip a few cents on the final selling day. AWTA data received during the recess showed a 12% decline in the weight of wool tested for the first half of the season.

The northern region indicator closed at 1,948 cents per kg clean a rise of 42 cents.