Tuakau sale holds up well despite the lack of rain

22-02-2010 | Not Specified


NORTHLAND
A bigger yarding of 650 cattle at Kaikohe on Wednesday last week saw prices continue firm, Vaughan Vujcich of PGG Wrightson reported.
Thirty-month steers made $1.85-$1.88/kgLW, 18-month steers $2.00-$2.08/kgLW, with crossbreds making $1.78-$1.90/kgLW. Weaner steers sold for $2.15-$2.22/kgLW, 18-month bulls $1.78-$1.84/kgLW, weaner bulls $1.85-$1.80/kgLW and weaner dairy bulls $350 to $380.
Thirty-month heifers went for $1.80-$1.86/kgLW, weaner heifers $2.00/kgLW, cows rwb $1.10-$1.18/kgLW and lighter $0.98-$1.04/kgLW.

COUNTIES
Last Thursday's store cattle sale at Tuakau attracted a medium yarding of around 600 cattle. PGG Wrightson agent Roy Allen said the market held up well considering the lack of rain in the region.
"The market is probably not as strong as other areas with more feed and we would certainly appreciate a little more rain locally," Allen said.
Most of the 30-month steer offering consisted of whiteheads the 510-580kg range, selling at $1.81-$1.87/kgLW, or $980-$1055.
The best of the 20-month whiteface steers at 470-480kg made $1.91/kgLW, with lighter whiteface steers 380-400kg making $2.00-$2.08/kgLW.
Only two pens of weaner steers were on offer. Whiteface weaners at 136kg earned $475 and 115kg weaners returned $438. Weaner Friesian bulls at 156kg made $405 and a 141kg pen $395.
A line of 20-month Angus and Angus-cross heifers at 373kg "sold very well" at $1.97-$2.10/kgLW. Another line of exotic heifers at 370-400kg made $690-$720.
Allen said last Wednesday's prime sale drew a good yarding of 875 cattle "and the recent schedule increases resulted in a very satisfactory market".
Heavy exotic steers at 780kg traded at $1.93/kgLW, with other heavy steers 750-800kg making $1.87-$1.91/kgLW. Quality Angus steers at 650kg returned $1.92-$1.94/kgLW and 630kg exotic steers earned $1.98/kgLW. Other steers at 570-660kg sold at $1.85-$1.90/kgLW and trade steers also sold well at $1.85-$1.91/kgLW, with the top money paid for good exotics.
Heifer prices were also firm. Heavy exotic heifers at 600kg made $1.94/kgLW and some 533kg exotic heifers earned $1.84/kgLW. Whiteface heifers sold at $1.80-$1.84/kgLW and other heifers at $1.75-$1.80/kgLW.
Heavy beef cows traded at $1.28-$1.38/kgLW and heavy empty Friesians returned $1.24-$1.28/kgLW. Other Friesians sold at $1.05-$1.15/kgLW and paddock buyers kept prices for younger Friesian cows firm at up to $1.20/kgLW.
Hereford bulls sold at $1.97-$2.01/kgLW.
Prices at last Monday's sheep sale were similar to previous weeks.

BAY OF PLENTY
It was another full bench at Rangiuru last week and a good yarding of nearly 600 cattle. Condition was generally good, but there was a shift towards beef-bred lines in a market that made small per head gains.
The entry of R2 steers comprised around 200 head, with a high percentage of them tipping the scales at less than 400kg. Lines weighing 430-448kg made $790-$845, $1.81-$1.89/kgLW, while those in the 340-380kg bracket traded at $700-$770, up to $2.01/kgLW, with lesser quality selling for $495-$525, $1,58-$1.67/kgLW.
Heavier R3 steers over 500kg brought $900-$1050, $1.80-$1.93/kgLW, with one 644kg lot bringing $1230, $1.90/kgLW. $820-$870 bought lighter sorts, $1.70-$1.89/kgLW.
Buyers offered big money per kilogram for R1 steers. All were in the lower weight range of 100-147kg and sold at $355-$445, making $3.04-$3.51/kgLW, an exception being a line of 178kg Angus steers which went at $420 or $2.36/kgLW.
R1 heifers received the same treatment. $275-$330 was paid for lines weighing just over 100kg, $2.57-$3.05/kgLW and heavier fetched $360-$392, $2.13-$2.97/kgLW.
Good whiteface R1 bulls made $410-$480, $2.64-$3.73/kgLW, while Friesians brought $340-$385, $2.32-$2.72/kg and plainer bulls went at $285-$300.
$1185 was top price for 613kg R3 Friesian bulls, $1.93/kgLW and good Herefords fetched $910-$940, $1.82-$1.86/kgLW, while Jersey bulls sold at $840-$932, $1.80-$1.81/kgLW.
Friesian R2 bulls topped at $825, whiteface making $720 and Jerseys $700, $1.73-$1.90/kgLW.
Around 150 R2 heifers sold on a firm note, the better lines making $560-$660, $1.59-$1.67/kgLW and just one pen made less at $395. Heavy R3 heifers went to $935, $1.84/kgLW, the rest of the class selling at $770-$890, $1.72-$1.82/kgLW.

WAIKATO
A reasonable yarding of prime cattle at Frankton last week contained many lines in top condition and the market firmed across the board as schedules rose, according to Allied Farmers.
Indicating the depth of the prime ox market, all lots made better than $1000, selling at $1270-$1442 for lots weighing 700-778kg, $1.74-$1.91/kgLW and one 904kg lot fetched $1645, $1.82/kgLW. Lines under 600kg brought $1005-$1082, $1.79-$1.83/kgLW.
Top weight prime heifers returned $937-$1058, $1.75-$1.85/kgLW and 400-495kg lots brought $801-$900 at similar rates with a few at $704-$748, $1.74/kgLW.
Prime cows topped at $812-$1010, $1.24-$1.47/kgLW. Good average lots made $636-$767, $1.21-$1.31/kgLW. Few boner cows fetched less than $1.00/kgLW and $1.13-$1.24 was needed to buy the better lines. $630-$727 covered those, while $400-$473 took cows weighing just over 400kg.
A 795kg pen of Simmental bulls sold at $1335, $1.68/kgLW and other beef-bred bulls made $1131-$1267, $1.85-$1.92/kgLW, with 461kg Jersey bulls making $751, $1.63/kgLW.
The sheep pens were well stocked, with good entries of prime lambs and ewes and reasonable numbers of store lambs all of which sold freely. Prime lambs peaked at $100, ranging from $70, while better trade ewes made $60, some young ewes selling at $75.
Medium store lambs traded at $54-$68 and a few good ewe lambs went at $70-$75.
Significant gains were made in values for young steers at the Frankton store sale, especially the popular whiteface-cross which brought returns of $3.00-$3.77/kgLW in several cases. Most of these were in the lighter weight ranges of 110-136kg and they sold at $415-$462.
Solid Friesian steers at 133-197kg made $310-$400, $2.03-$2.33/kgLW. R2 and R3 steers also performed well.
At around 200 head, the R2 group was the largest in the 736-head offering; $1.94-$2.18/kgLW bought the better weights which sold at $800-$855, with one line of Gelbveih steers making $925. All whiteface steers were under 400kg and realised $690-$835, $2.01-$2.07/kgLW.
All bar a couple of lots of R3 steers weighed 501-584kg and $920-$1015 took the better whiteface lines, while Friesians carrying similar weight fetched $1015-$1035. All made $1.77-$1.83/kgLW.
More than 160 R2 bulls were penned and those that weighed better than 323kg made $600-$750, with 440kg Jersey bulls returning $780 and crossbred bulls were $550-$600, $1.64-$2.00/kgLW.
A short yarding of R3 bulls made $830-$965 and a couple of lines of heifers the same age attracted $665 and $857, $1.86/kgLW and $1.91/kgLW respectively.
R1 bulls went under the hammer for $510-$522, $2.18/kgLW and $2.25/kgLW and $3.26/kgLW was spent on 136kg whiteface bulls, $445. Friesian bulls sold well, making $2.25-$2.74/kgLW, $355-$405. Jersey bulls at 197kg fetched $405, $2.05/kgLW.
Solid R2 whiteface heifers were wanted, making $648-$810, $1.85-$1.91/kgLW. Heavy Friesians recorded $610, $1.56/kgLW and lighter went for $500-$505, $1.56-$1.59/kgLW, with some 355kg brindle heifers topping at $640, $1.80/kgLW.

POVERTY BAY
In all, 3110 sheep came to Matawhero last Friday, including 1638 store lambs and 1175 breeding ewes.
Quality varied in the lamb section, with only a very few heavier-conditioned lines which held to recent rates of $72.50-$75.50, $2.01-$2.22/kgLW.
The next group, the good medium-style lamb, firmed a shade to make $64.25-$70.25, $2.39-$2.67/kgLW.
With several small lines of quite small lambs, there were sales at $56-$60 and down to $36-$48. Buyers made little distinction between male and ewe lambs.
There is still plenty of interest in ewes with breeding potential and Friday's entry comprised several reasonable sized lines of older ewes from high country. Most had good teeth and buyers snapped them up, paying $$69-$82 for 5-6-year lots, $69.50-$79 for useful mixed-age and 6-7-year ewes brought $60.
The prime pens held only 100 head, with just a handful of lambs. These were fair average and made $73-$76.50.
Heavier trade ewes made $67.50-$70.50 and well-covered 2-tooth ewes went at $68.50-$75.
Store ewes followed the prime market, good sorts selling at $50-$55 and others at $48.

TARANAKI
The market was strong for all classes of cattle at Stratford on Tuesday last week, with 30-month Friesian steers 586.7-662.5kg making $1.775-$1.855/kgLW and 30-month Hereford-cross steers 520-590kg returning S1.76-$1.85/kgLW.
Prime steers: Crossbred 645kg $1.75/kgLW, Murray Grey 625kg $1.84/kgLW, Hereford/Friesian 632-635kg $1.875-$1.905/kgLW, Charolais 625kg $1.905/kgLW.
Prime heifers: Hereford/Friesian 513.8kg $1.805/kgLW, Angus 480kg $1.73/kgLW, Hereford-cross 438.3kg $1.70/kgLW, Charolais 555kg $1.835/kgLW.
Two-year steers, Hereford/Friesian 505kg $1.82/kgLW, Hereford-cross 510kg $1.78/kgLW. Eighteen-month Devon-cross heifers 440kg $1.69/kgLW.
Cows, beef: Simmental/Friesian 520kg $1.78/kgLW, Hereford/Friesian 460kg $1.16/kgLW, Angus 609.7kg $1.40/kgLW.
Cows store: Crossbred 325-395kg $0.66-$1.06/kgLW, Friesian 465kg $1.10/kgLW, Jersey 470kg $1.01/kgLW. Empty Friesian 473.8-590kg $1.09-$1.35/kgLW, Jersey 335-337.5kg $0.67-$0.72/kgLW, empty crossbred 432kg $1.08/kgLW.
Bulls, 3-year: Jersey 560-645kg $1.79-$1.87/kgLW, Hereford 630-830kg $1.83-$1.92/kgLW, Hereford-cross 670kg $1.86/kgLW, Charolais 675kg $1.90/kgLW, Simmental 635kg $1.91/kgLW, Friesian 650kg $1.83/kgLW, crossbred 622.5kg $1.81/kgLW, Angus 567.5-650kg $1.87-$1.92/kgLW.
Bulls, 2-year: Jersey 442.5-545kg $1.70-$1.80/kgLW, Shorthorn 450kg $1.59/kgLW, Hereford-cross 570kg $1.82/kgLW, Hereford 505kg $1.70/kgLW.
Bulls, 20-month: Jersey 455kg $1.70/kgLW, Jersey-cross 430kg $1.52/kgLW.
Bulls, 18-month: Friesian-cross 340kg $1.43/kgLW, Friesian 457.5kg $1.87/kgLW, Jersey 437.5kg $1.77/kgLW, Jersey 370-395kg $780-$800.
Grass growth kept prices steady at last Wednesday's Stratford store sale, with 30-month Friesian steers 579.4kg going under the hammer for $1040.
Steers, 2-year: Simmental-cross 550-600kg $980-$1090, purebred Simmental 380kg $735, Friesian 435kg $750.
Steers, 18-month: Murray Grey-cross 360kg $700, Hereford-cross 350kg $740, Hereford/Friesian 365kg $700.
Heifers, 18-month: Simmental-cross 365kg $680, Hereford-cross 352.5-365kg $660-$665, Hereford/Friesian 292.5kg $540, crossbred 290kg $590.
Steers, 15-month: Hereford/Friesian 284.2kg $635, crossbred 240kg $390.
Heifers, 15-month: Hereford/Friesian 305kg $560, Angus/Friesian 300.7-306.4kg $565-$575.
Weaners: Hereford/Friesian steers 220kg $460, crossbred steers 210-240kg $390-$420, MRI heifers 345kg $660, Hereford-cross heifers 250-320kg $450-$592, Friesian heifers 207.5kg $380, crossbred bulls 200kg $310-$380.
Angus cow and Hereford/Friesian runners 825kg $1350; rwb crossbred cows 377.5kg $580; rwb crossbred heifers 395kg $495.
Lambs: Prime $62-$80, ram $59.50-$66.50, mixed sex $53-$60.50, wether $66, ewe $51.75.
Ewes: Prime $59.50, mixed-age Wilshire $70, 2-tooth Wilshire $84, Wilshire $55-$67.50.
A large yarding of 1500 calves at Stratford on Thursday last week saw weaner Friesian bulls sell at their highest for the season, with those in the 116.7-224.1kg weight range trading at $335 to $510.
Bulls: Jersey 75-131.7kg $60-$315, Hereford-cross 127.2-291.3kg $430-$610, Hereford/Friesian 105.6-187.5kg $385-$510, Belgium Blue 155-175kg $460-$470, crossbred 50-141kg $62-$420, Angus-cross 112.1-135kg $390-$420, Ayrshire-cross 117.9kg $275, MRI-cross 102-180kg $195-$515, Red Devon 237.5kg $510, Saler-cross 100kg $292.
Steers: Hereford/Friesian 111.1-155.3kg $410-$515, Hereford-cross 102.2kg $390, Angus/Friesian 205kg $348, Angus-cross 112.1-186.9kg $390-$470, crossbred 175kg $260, Hereford/Friesian-cross 125kg $365.
Heifers: Hereford/Friesian 95.7-180kg $300-$390, Hereford-cross 108.8-199kg $282-$365, Angus-cross 111.3-155kg $280-$390, Angus/Friesian 110-133.3kg $292-$420, Saler-cross 101.7kg $230, MRI-cross 111.3-160.8kg $242-$325, Jersey-cross 83.3kg $150, crossbred 115kg $198.

HAWKE'S BAY
It was a case of "more rain, more grass, more money" at Stortford Lodge last week. Store lamb prices, especially for the smaller type lambs, were bringing gasps from the public as they hit $2.50-$3.00/kgLW.
Last Wednesday, 2200 lambs went under the hammer with a good proportion of the male lambs selling at $70.50-$80 and a 19kg lot fetching $57.50, $3.02/kgLW. Weighty ewe lambs brought $78-$81 and mediums $65.50-$68.50.
Very heavy mixed-sex lambs returned $86-$88, mediums, $73 and lighter $64.
Buyers were still showing interest in better-style breeding ewes with good 4/5 year making $80-$85 and the more medium ewes were not a lot above trade price at $53-$60.
More than 500 cattle went through the rostrum, a well-conditioned offering that drew speedy bidding from a full stand. Most cattle were in the older brackets, only a handful of weaner bulls coming forward as vendors hold their weaner cattle for the up-coming series of fairs.
R2 steers and heifers made up 50% of the total entry. The steers showed a firming tendency, with lines over 400kg selling at $890-$945, $2.10-$2.21/kgLW and only one or two lots failed to break $2.00/kgLW, with buyers indicating preference for beef-bred animals.
This trend was not as evident in the R2 heifer section, where good Friesian heifers over 380kg brought a top price of $680, $1.78/kgLW, The better beef-bred heifers up to 308kg made to $650, $2.11/kgLW and other nice lots $520-$580, all over $2.00/kgLW.
$900 was paid for older heifers 520kg, $1.73/kgLW and the sort entry all made $1.61-$1.88/kgLW.
R3 steers brought good money, the best selling at $995-$1155, $1.85-$1.97/kgLW and lighter at $855.
R2 Friesian bulls came forward in numbers, with around 100 head penned. They all returned $2.10-$2.37/kgLW to fetch $675-$737, with a few at $560.
$760-$880 bought R3 bulls, $1.68-$1.76/kgLW. Interest in cows and calves resulted in $850-$1070 being paid for small lines.

MANAWATU
Capital stock six-tooth ewes provided a feature at Feilding last Friday, fetching $119, Damian Clarke of Elders reported.
About 1800 ewes were penned and the few 2-tooths offered made $97, with good 5-year ewes making $70 to $80and medium $60 to $68.
The best of the 15,000-plus lambs offered made $82 to $84.50, good lambs $78-$82, good males $74 to $78 and medium $68-$84. Best blackface lambs made $80-$84, good blackface $75-$80, medium $70-$75, smaller $62-$68 and very small $55-$58.
Elders' Darrin Holm reported a strong cattle sale with 30-month steers making $2.00/kgLW and 18-month steers the same sort of money, with 350-400kg lines up to $2.10/kgLW. Autumn-born steers went for up to $800, which represented $2.30/kgLW.
Thirty-month heifers went for up to $1.80/kgLW, with good 18-month heifers around the 400kg mark making $2.00/kgLW and lighter up to $2.20/kgLW.
"There was strong interest throughout producing a very strong sale," Holm said.

CANTERBURY
There was another very full yarding of stock at last week's Canterbury Park and while prices for very heavy prime lambs and ewes eased, overall prices remained strong.
PGG Wrightson livestock manager Shane Dickson said very heavy prime lambs earned $95-$102, the next cut fetched $86-$93 and lighter lambs realised $71-$82.
Heavy prime ewes sold for $77-$83, the next cut made $68-$75, medium types earned $52-$63 and lighter lambs fetched $38-$45.
Strong lambs continued to sell very strongly, with the best forward stores making $68-$73, while medium types realised $62-$66. Lighter store lambs earned $53-$60.
In the cattle pens there was a medium yarding of prime cattle, but the quality was not quite as good as it has been in recent weeks.
Heavy prime steers fetched $1.70-$1.73/kgLW, with exceptional sales to $0.75/kgLW while the next cut earned $1.63-$1.65/kgLW.
Crossbred and unfinished types were auctioned for $1.55-$1.57/kgLW.
Heavy prime heifers sold for $1.67-$1.70/kgLW, with exceptional sales to $1.73/kgLW and lighter heifers made $1.50-$1.58/kgLW.

MID CANTERBURY
A good yarding of prime stock at Tinwald last week saw light to medium prime lambs strengthen $5-$10 on the previous week, while advertised lines of station-bred store lambs again met strong demand, PGG Wrightson livestock representative Emett Sparrow said.
The best of the prime lambs sold from $100 to $105 while medium types returned $85-$90, with lighter lambs selling up to $80.
Prime ewes held firm in the market on the previous sale, with heavy types earning up to $90, medium $70-$80 and lighter ewes $50-$60.
The top cut of Poll Dorset store lambs fetched $101, while medium stores ranged from $77 to $85, with longer-term lambs earning $65-$73. Advertised lambs from Mt Arrowsmith in the Ashburton Gorge saw male lambs selling from $69.50 to $100 and ewe lambs $70-$96. An advertised line of Down Cross lambs ranged from $48 to $83.

SOUTH CANTERBURY
Prime cattle and sheep last week had similar sales to the previous week at Temuka, with a big yarding of store lambs meeting good demand, PGG Wrightson livestock manager Joe Higgins said.
Steers 600-750kg returned $1.70-$1.76/kgLW, 480-600kg $1.65-$1.85/kgLW and dairy types 500-650kg $1.50-$1.65/kgLW.
Heifers 500-600kg earned $1.60-$1.71/kgLW, 450-500kg $1.50-$1.59/kgLW and dairy sorts 380-500kg $1.45-$1.55/kgLW.
Bulls lifted 2-5c/kg, with 850-1000kg fetching $1.14-$1.22/kgLW, 550-850kg $1.55-$1.79/kgLW and 450-550kg $1.40-$1.52/kg LW.
Heavy beef cows returned $1.10-$1.18/kgLW, 400-500kg $0.90-$1.05/kgLW and dairy types $1.05-$1.11/kgLW, with poorer sorts $0.70-$0.95/kg LW.
A big yarding of store lambs sold on a similar market to the previous week, with forward lambs selling from $63 to $72.50, medium $54-$62 and smaller lambs $43-$53.
Heavy prime lambs returned $95-$112, medium $80-$94 and light $68-$79. Prime 1-shear ewes earned $94-$104, medium $80-$89 and light $70-$75.
Heavy adult butcher ewes fetched up to $104 with medium types selling from $67-$75, light $55-$65 and stores $35-$53.
Merino lamb sales at Omarama and Tekapo had very strong sales, with a big number of buyers competing and many not managing to buy the numbers they sought.
The best of the wether lambs ranged from $70 to $80, while medium types returned $55-$69 and smaller lambs $35-$50.
A small number of ewe lambs were sold, with prices on a par with the wether lambs, the top sale of the day being a line of ewe lambs at the Tekapo sale that fetched $81.
The store cattle market eased up to 10c/kg, with R3 steers at 403-656kg earning $670-$1080, heifers 351-453kg fetched $620-$860 15-month steers 351-453kg returned $670-$860, with dairy and poorer dairy beef 289-358kg returning $560-$650kg.
Fifteen-month heifers at 318-390kg earned $580-$700, with lighter types 288-325kg making $440-$540.
Fifteen-month bulls in the 313-504kg range returned $490-$780.
Good-quality autumn born calves ranged from $380-$550 for 184-303kg and poorer dairy and dairy-cross types at 187-139kg traded at $150-$350.

OTAGO
Prices for prime lambs firmed slightly on the back of a good-quality yarding at Balclutha last week, with a similar trend for a very good line-up of prime ewes, Barry Osborne of PGG Wrightson, Milton, said.
Heavy prime lambs traded at $88 to $96, medium sorts made $78-$85 and light went for $70-$76. Good quality 2-tooths returned $81, medium $74 and light $63.
Heavy prime ewes sold from $76 to $87, medium attracted $67-$74 and light $54 to $62. Lower condition ewes sold for $46 to $51.
Heavy local trade rams fetched $48, with medium making $33 and light $24.
Osborne said a small yarding of store sheep was offered and sold firmly.
Top woolly store lambs went under the hammer for $71, with medium sorts making $65 and light returning $56. Blackface store lambs made $68 for tops, with mediums trading at $60 and light $48. Tail-end lambs fetched $30 to $42.
Romney annual draft breeding ewes made $68 and $82 and Coopworths $63.

SOUTHLAND
Demand was firm for what was a medium yarding of prime sheep at last week's Lorneville sale. PGG Wrightson livestock representatives said heavy prime lambs earned $82-$89 and medium lambs fetched $77.
Good-quality 2-tooth ewes realised $53 and the next cut sold for $48.
Heavy adult ewes went under the hammer for $65 to $80, medium ewes made $52-$63 and lighter ewes fetched $40-$50.
The best forward store lambs were auctioned for $60-$68, the next cut realised $53-$58 and lighter lambs earned $45-$52.The tail-end lambs sold for $25-$38.
Border Leicester-cross 2-tooth ewes fetched $154 and Wairere 2-tooth ewes made $154.
In the cattle pens, prime steers at 570kg sold for $1.60/kgLW and cows 500-650kg earned $0.80-$0.90/kgLW.
Prime heifers went under the hammer for $1.45-$1.60/kgLW.
A large yarding of store cattle sold on a good market, with 18-month beef-cross steers at 390-440kg making $680-$730 while 15-month beef-cross heifers 300kg earned $500-$560.
Weaner beef-cross bulls 130-160kg sold for $320-$390, and weaner heifers115-140kg fetched $360-$370.
Store lambs continued to sell strongly at last week's Charlton sale, with the best forward store lambs making $70, while the next cut earned $65-$68. Smaller store lambs realised $58-$60 and the tail-end lambs sold for $55-$59.
Perendale 4 and 5-shear breeding ewes went under the hammer for $85-$90.
In the prime stock section, heavy lambs fetched $94, medium prime lambs earned $80-$84 and lighter types made $75. Good quality 2-tooths sold for $75, while heavy adult ewes realised $84. Medium adult ewes were auctioned for $60-$65 and lighter ewes made $50.

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