Dry conditions rein back cattle prices at Tuakau.

08-03-2010 | Not Specified


NORTHLAND
Weaner steers sold from $332 to $945 and weaner bulls from $270 to $850 at Wellsford on Monday last week.
On the Tuesday, heifers made $380 to $420 and weaner heifers $228 to $710. Store lambs sold for $42 to $61.50, prime lambs $75-$84 and ewes up to $65.
Prices were on par at Kaikohe with the previous week for a larger yarding of 700 cattle last Wednesday, PGG Wrightson agent Vaughan Vujcich reported.
Thirty-month steers made $1.80-$1.85/kgLW, 18-month Charolais and Simmental steers $2.00-$2.09/kgLW and $2.00-$2.04 for whiteface, others making $1.80-$1.90/kgLW.
Eighteen-month Friesian bulls made $1.70/kgLW and beef bulls $1.75/kgLW. Weaner bulls fetched $1.85-$1.95/kgLW and dairy bulls $350-$380.
Thirty-month heifers made $1.80-$1.84kgLW, with weaner heifers selling at $1.85-$2.00/kgLW. In-calf and rwb cows fetched $1.10-$1.20/kgLW, with the medium cut making $0.98-$1.10/kgLW.

COUNTIES
Rain continued to bypass the Tuakau region and the dry conditions contributed to a slight easing in prices at last Thursday's store cattle sale.
Elders agent Keith West said the market for the offering of just under 800 cattle was "probably back by a few cents/kg on the previous week".
Lack of grass growth was a factor "because the rain keeps missing us".
West said 30-month steers sold at $1.74-$1.82/kgLW, with most 18-month steers making $1.85-$1.95/kgLW and weaner steers $380-$490. Friesian weaner bulls returned $350-$390.
Most 20-month heifers earned $1.79-$1.86/kgLW and weaner heifers fetched $330-$400.
At last Wednesday's prime sale, heavy steers sold at $1.85-$1.88/kgLW, with medium steers making $1.76-$1.83/kgLW. Heavy heifers earned $1.74-$1.80/kgLW and lighter sorts $1.68-$1.73/kgLW.
Heavy beef cows returned $1.22-$1.30/kgLW and medium-heavy Friesian cows earned $1.13-$1.20/kgLW. Lighter boners traded at $1.04-$1.11/kgLW.
Heavy bulls made $1.94-$2.01/kgLW and light-medium bulls $1.78-$1.85/kgLW.
At last Monday's sheep sale, heavy prime lambs sold at $75-$80, with good ewes making $55-$58 and medium sorts $40-$45.

BAY OF PLENTY
There were two busy and high-revenue-earning days for agents at Rangiuru last Tuesday, when 715 store cattle went under the hammer, followed by 819 weaners the next day.
Both fixtures were well attended and as at all sales of cattle recently, competition was very strong.
Some very good older steers featured on the Tuesday, Waikato interests out-bidding others to take many lines of R2 steers.
Several lines of R3 steers broke $1000, making $1.84-$1.89/kgLW, $1040-$1170, a star pen of 655kg Angus selling at $1270, $1.94/kgLW. $800-$895 bought plainer steers, $1.64-$1.77/kgLW.
Best R2 steers went at $700-$795, $1.79-$1.90/kgLW, while $600-$685 secured good medium weights, $1.78-$1.97/kgLW and one or two lots less than 300kg returned $350-$465.
As a forerunner to the weaner fair, a few pens of young steers made $2.35-$2.91/kgLW, the heaviest at 139kg making $405 and the lightest at 109kg $290, $2.75/kgLW.
Good R3 bulls sold well, $1120-$1270 buying the better types, $1.92-$1.99/kgLW.
R2 bulls were not quite as expensive, $500-$562 taking useful sorts, $1.98-$2.13/kgLW, with some at $312-$410, $1.29-$1.77/kgLW.
There were heifers in the R1 section that had real weight, tipping the scales at 503-535kg. These made $885-$890, $1.70-$1.85/kgLW, with a top lot of 535kg whiteface heifers selling at $990, $1.85/kgLW.
$730 was top price for whiteface R2 heifers, $1.70/kgLW and other good lines made $605-$650, $1.71-$1.99/kgLW. Medium in-calf cows fetched $625-$675 and R2 heifers rwb made $730-$810.
In the sheep section, heavy prime lambs went to $122 with lighter at $70.
Wednesday's weaner fair was smaller than last year, but contained some very nice cattle in top order and, with a small number of lesser types, gave a good cross-section of the market for the age group around the North Island at the moment.
Several regions provided buying power but, in the steer pens, one East Coast operator was hard to stop, taking a good proportion of the better-quality steers.
$700 was top price which was paid for 296kg Simmental/Charolais cross, $2.36/kgLW. $600-$695 was needed to take the better lines $2.35-$2.58/kgLW, but smaller steers traded at $2.80-$3.40/kgLW.
Weaner bulls produced pleasing results, a pen of 333kg Charolais making $890, $2.66/kgLW. At the other end of the scale, 195kg whiteface bulls fetched $645, $3.19/kgLW.
Only the best heifers were bought for less than $2.00/kgLW, 302kg Charolais selling at $600, $1.98/kgLW and 271kg crossbred making $510, $1.87/kgLW. The rest of the better heifers made $470-$550, $2.09-$2.24/kgLW and the smaller lots were $400 and above.
As Rod Kamphorst of PGG Wrightson put it: "Two very good days!"

WAIKATO
An increased yarding of prime cattle last week at Frankton, where heifers came forward in bigger than usual numbers, saw a firm return for ox but a slight easing in offers for the heifers.
Boners and paddock cows were still in firm demand. All bar one pen of ox made more than $1100, the heaviest lot at 816kg selling at $1501, $1.84/kgLW. Ox over 700kg went for $1298-$1403, $1.75-$1.85/kgLW and 538kg whiteface made $931, $1.73/kgLW.
Whiteface heifers 595kg topped at $1059, $1.78/kgLW and 605kg Friesian heifers went at $1022, $1.69/kgLW. Other heifers in the 500kg range fetched $907-$1002, $1.74-$1.78/kgLW.
Prime cows over 600kg attracted $822-$830, $1.20-$1.30/kgLW. Cows over 500kg brought $615-$695, $1.15-$1.29/kgLW and $577-$602 was sufficient to buy cows around 460-480kg, $1.19-$1.29/kgLW.
Solid Friesian boners over 500kg made $537-$541, $0.98-$1.00/kgLW. Boners at 400-488kg fetched $360-$487, $0.88-$1.00/kgLW and very heavy Hereford bulls at 850kg made $1275, $1.50/kgLW and another similar at 740kg realised $1443, $1.95/kgLW.
Lighter bulls went under the hammer $896-$983.
The PGG Wrightson report on the sheep sale shows prime lambs making to $106 and averaging $82.50, while average store lambs sold at $52-$67.50. Young trade ewes made to $76, with light ewes returning as low as $32.50.

POVERTY BAY
A slightly increased yarding at Matawhero with 3600 lambs and 1600 breeding ewes last Friday illustrated the demand for sheep with a very solid market for both classes, some of the small medium lambs dearer than the previous week.
The lamb section contained mostly medium and good-medium lambs, with the usual proportion of little ones and the few meatier lines, regardless of sex, made schedule rates and better. Heavy males made $75 to $83.50 and all the better-framed sorts, whether ewes, males or mixed-sex, brought $70-$75, $2.33-$2.46/kgLW. The smaller medium lambs returned $60-$68, $2.50-$2.89/kgLW and quite small made $49-$57.
Some very attractive 4-tooth Romney breeding ewes drew spirited bidding to sell at $88 and similar 4-tooth/5-year ewes brought $90.50. Older ewes from high country with good teeth sold freely with 5/6-year ewes making $67.50 to $77.50, 5-year-olds selling at $76-$78.50 and mixed-age at $71.
Butchers are struggling to find ewes, the few that were offered making $57-$66, while a handful of prime lambs brought $65 to $80 and 2-tooth ewes $69.
Store lambs are coming out of the high country as summer ends and buyers are snapping them up. A Matawai property sold 667 well-bred Romney ewe lambs, taking $74 for 485 and $63.50 for 192, $2.46 and $2.26/kgLW.

TARANAKI
There was another very strong market at Stratford last Tuesday with prime cattle, boner cows and bulls all selling very well.
Prime ox: Crossbred 730kg $1.855/kgLW, Simmental 735kg $1.92/kgLW, Hereford-cross 670-750kg $1.895-$1.92/kgLW, Angus/Friesian 730kg $1.875/kgLW.
Prime steers: Hereford/Friesian 636.7kg $1.905/kgLW, Hereford-cross 610kg $1.89/kgLW, Jersey-cross 670kg $1.66/kgLW.
Prime heifers: Charolais 488kg $1.805/kgLW, Simmental 590kg $1.86/kgLW, Murray Grey 528kg $1.84/kgLW, Angus/Friesian 570kg $1.835/kgLW, Hereford/Friesian 465-528kg $1.70-$1.84/kgLW, Hereford 475kg $1.755/kgLW, Hereford-cross 500-528kg $1.66-$1.84/kgLW.
Steers, 2-year: Hereford/Friesian 560-570kg $1.87-$1.885/kgLW, Hereford-cross 555-571.7 $1.80-$1.86/kgLW, Charolais 525kg $1.875/kgLW, Limousin-cross 565kg $1.795/kgLW.
Heifers, 2-year: Angus/Friesian 435kg $1.61/kgLW, Murray Grey-cross 388kg $1.645/kgLW, Hereford-cross 435kg $1.66/kgLW. Twenty-month Hereford-cross 470kg $1.745/kgLW.
Steers, 18-month: Murray Grey 335kg $1.63/kgLW, Red Devon 435kg $1.75/kgLW.
Cows: rwb Hereford 572.5-750kg $1.41-$1.47/kgLW, Hereford 480-587.5kg $1.37-$1.40/kgLW, Hereford-cross 470kg $1.33/kgLW. Empty Friesian heifers 436.7kg $1.52/kgLW, empty Jersey heifers 285-385kg $0.86-$1.36/kgLW.
Cows, empty: Friesian 360-507.5kg $0.85-$1.12/kgLW, Jersey 250-382.5kg $0.60-$0.865/kgLW, crossbred 430kg $1.075/kgLW.
Cows, in milk: Friesian 465.5kg $1.08/kgLW, Jersey 365-380.6kg $0.79-$0.84/kgLW.
Cows, in calf: Crossbred 355kg $0.85/kgLW, Friesian 479.3kg $1.11/kgLW, Jersey 420kg $0.92/kgLW.
Four-year Hereford bull 795kg $1.90/kgLW.
Bulls, 3-year: Purebred Red Devon 585kg $1.955/kgLW, Hereford 610-710kg $1.91-$1.965/kgLW, Angus 675kg $1.97/kgLW, Simmental 655kg $1.91/kgLW.
Bulls, 30-month: 30mth Hereford 595-657.5kg $1.90-$1.96/kgLW, Jersey 470-590kg $1.60-$1.825/kgLW, Friesian 535kg $1.79/kgLW.
Bulls, 2-year: Tiger 575kg $1.84/kgLW, crossbred 545kg $1.78/kgLW, Friesian 574kg $1.79/kgLW, Hereford 495-680kg $1.88-$1.965/kgLW, Ayrshire 620kg $1.84/kgLW, Jersey 515-528.8kg $1.72-$1.74/kgLW.
Bulls, 18-month: Shorthorn 330-415kg $530-$615, Jersey 247.5-390kg $695-$750.
At last Wednesday's sale, capital Perendale ewes sold at reasonable values with store lambs still attracting a premium. Well-bred cattle were still very much sort after, with 3-year Ayrshire steers 572.5kg selling for $940.
Steers, 30-month: Friesian 469-514.6kg $760-$868, Angus-Friesian 515-535kg $810-$1000, Ayrshire 545kg $965, Hereford/Ayrshire 527kg $942, Simmental-cross 555kg $1010. Hereford-Friesian heifers 493.3kg $890.
Steers, 2-year: Hereford-cross 418.3-483.3kg $745-$825, Hereford/Friesian 392.5-419kg $725-$760, Ayrshire 441.7kg $715, Angus/Friesian 456.3kg $640, Angus 457.2kg $780
Steers, 20-month: Friesian 472.5kg $805, Simmental-cross 557.1kg $1055, Hereford/Friesian 356.5kg $728.
Steers, 18-month: Friesian 317.5-345kg $500-$540, Angus/Friesian 417-477.5kg $760-$835, Red Devon-cross 427.5kg $730, Hereford/Friesian 305-390.9kg $505-$742, Hereford-cross 445kg $755, Charolais-cross 366.9-380kg $640-$740, Belted Galloway-cross 400kg $588, Ayrshire 375kg $452, Murray Grey-cross 413.3kg $740.
Heifers, 18-month: Charolais-cross 395kg $680, Angus-cross 358.8kg $595, Angus/Friesian 386.4kg $662, Hereford-cross 330-340kg $592-$615.
Eighteen-month Charolais-cross rigs 350kg $620, Friesian rigs 355kg $540. Fifteen-month crossbred steers 280kg $465, Angus/Friesian steers 260kg $360. Fifteen-month Dexter heifers 245kg $350, Friesian heifers 315kg $450. In-calf Friesian heifers 460kg $740. Autumn-born Angus bulls 317.5kg $590.
Weaner steers: Hereford/Friesian 100-161.7kg $340-$460, Hereford-cross 111-167.5kg $360-$470, Jersey 107.5kg $85.
Weaner bulls: Friesian 147.5kg $430, Belted Galloway 105kg $290, Friesian 152.5-185kg $402-$430, Jersey 145kg $302, Hereford/Friesian 130kg $400, Charolais 120kg $410.
Weaner heifers: Friesian 140kg $240, Hereford/Friesian 95-140kg $278-$330, Hereford-cross 98.3kg $225, Angus-cross 160-207.5kg $300-$350, Angus/Friesian 90kg $260, Charolais-cross 105kg $275, Jersey 75kg $150.
Lambs: prime $71-$76, mixed-sex $59-$64, mixed-sex Suffolk $67-$68, wether $60.50-$65, ewe $65.50.
Ewes: Ewes $40, mixed-age $40-$80, mixed-age Perendale $68, 6-year $63, 4-year Perendale $80-$90, 6-tooth Perendale $95, 4-tooth Perendale $100.50, 2-tooth Perendale $95-$132.
Suffolk rams $200, rams $29-$80. Weaner pigs $58-$95.

HAWKE'S BAY
Vendors seeking to take the money, last week sent more than 4000 store lambs to Stortford Lodge and the were many excellent lines, mainly males. With a larger-than-usual numbers, there was a slight easing in per head values, agents report, but there was no dramatic drop.
The heavier males still attracted $78-$82 and $72-$79 was needed to buy the good medium lambs, while lines in the mid-20kg range brought $70-$74 for quality and $65-$67 for lesser. The better lambs would have returned $2.20-$2.40/kgLW and mediums were even dearer at $2.50-$2.90/kgLW.
Good ewe lambs brought $85 and averaged $62-$65. The day's heaviest lambs, a pen of mixed-sex, topped the sale at $86, the rest fetching $60-$74 at similar rates to the rest of the entry.
Ewes with breeding potential continue to make reasonable money, selling at $75-$82 and the plainer ewes were around trade price.
Outside buyers had trouble beating off a very keen bench of locals in the cattle rostrum. The bulk of the yarding was either R2 steers or heifers and they comprised around 440 of the nearly 500 cattle offered.
There were some top-quality animals in great condition and it was almost impossible to buy anything for less than $2.00/kgLW, whether they were steers or heifers. Angus and Angus/Hereford-cross were especially favoured.
A line of the latter at 502kg made top money at $1035, $2.06/kgLW and 493kg Simmentals brought $1000, $2.03/kgLW. $872-$992 took a few solid lots and medium steers returned $650-$750, $2.03-$2.21/kgLW. Small made $540-$570.
A 614kg pen of R3 steers went at $1175, $1.91/kgLW and the others were $810-$960, $1.94-$2.03/kgLW.
R2 heifers also brought good prices, with many lots selling at $650-$745, $2.07-$2.12/kgLW.
Very heavy crossbred heifers topped at $835, 478kg at $1.74/kgLW. Whiteface R3 heifers rwb brought $755 and $650 was paid for Angus/Hereford R3 bulls, $1.76/kgLW.

MANAWATU
A good top-up rain across Manawatu in the middle of last week livened up buyers at Friday's Feilding sale.
PGG Wrightson agent Dan Flanagan said the yarding of store sheep matched the previous week. Prices for store lambs were as strong or above the last sale, peaking at more than $2.60/kgLW for some pens of lighter lambs.
"The lamb job was supersonic again," Flanagan said.
Early pens of heavy store lambs proved better buying on a cents/kgLW basis. An early pen of 40kgLW lambs made $85.70 or $2.14/kgLW. Another pen of mixed-sex lambs, 36kg estimated average liveweight, made $83, or $2.30/kg. Medium lambs sold between $2.40-$2.50/kgLW.
"One line of woolly male lambs, 35kg average, made $80, $2.28/kgLW, but would have made more if they were shorn."
In the ewe section, a line of Perendale 2-tooths, picked from a large line, sold at $98. Lines of 6-tooth Romney ewes in good condition fetched $102-$116 and a line of 4-year Romney ewes made $102.
Medium-condition Romney 5-year ewes, with 1-year mouths, sold from $78 to $86 and another line of 5-year Romney ewes with low mouths made $71.50. A line of very good 5-year Coopworth ewes fetched $80.50.
Last Friday's cattle sale was "very strong". Two-and-a-half year cattle sold from about $1.965-$2.072/kgLW, ranging in price from $1195-$1350.
Eighteen-month steers were keenly sought. A line of 355kg cattle made $2.256/kgLW, just breaking the $800 mark. Other lines were selling above $2/kgLW.
Same-age heifers 370-437kgLW were selling from $1.79-$1.92/kg.
Flanagan said the first weaner cattle fair at Feilding saleyards is in late March, and he expects the market to be "red hot" based on early sales of up to $2.60/kgLW for Angus calves.

CANTERBURY
There was a smaller yarding of prime lambs at last week's Canterbury Park sale.
PGG Wrightson livestock representatives said the best prime lambs fetched $95 to $105, the next cut earned $85-$93 and lighter lambs sold down to $75.
Prices for prime ewes lifted slightly, with heavy ewes making $72-$80 with exceptional sales to $89, while medium ewes earned $65-$70. Lighter ewes made $58-$65 and store type ewes were auctioned for $50-$55.
The store lamb market remained firm, with the best forward stores trading from $69 to $74, while the next cut earned $66-$68. Medium lambs fetched $63-$66 and lighter lambs sold for $55-$61.
There was a smaller yarding of good-quality prime cattle last week and prices lifted by 5-8c/kg.
Steers made $1.72-$1.82/kgLW, with sales to $1.86/kgLW, while heifers realised $1.58-$1.68/kgLW with sales to $1.77/kgLW.
Demand was strong for store cattle last week. Steers sold for $1.75-$1.90/kgLW, while heifers fetched $1.70-$1.85/kgLW.
Steers calves were auctioned for $1.90-$2.20/kgLW and heifer calves went under the hammer for $1.80-$2.20/kgLW.

MID CANTERBURY
Prime lambs sold on a par with the previous sale at Tinwald last week and store lambs continued to sell strongly with shorn lambs being keenly sought, PGG Wrightson livestock agent Emett Sparrow said.
Heavy prime lambs fetched $94-$106, while medium types earned $80-$90 and lighter lambs $70-$78.
Prime ewes had a strong sale on a small yarding, with heavy ewes returning up to $89, medium types $72-$80 and lighter condition ewes selling from $58 to $69.
Forward shorn store lambs sold from $64.50 to $73.50. Advertised lines of Perendale crypt lambs realised $66.50-$73.50, while station-bred shorn crossbred lambs sold at $64-$73.
The Ashburton ewe lamb fair was held at the conclusion of the weekly sale. First cross-Border Romney ewe lambs fetched $89-$127, while Romneys returned $75-$88 and Coopdales a neat $100.

SOUTH CANTERBURY
Prime cattle and sheep had similar sales to the previous ones at Temuka last week, with store lambs continuing to meet strong demand. Prime ewes strengthened $2-$3 and prime cattle lifted 2-3c/kg across the board, PGG Wrightson livestock manager Joe Higgins said.
Steers 600-750kg returned $1.72-$1.78/kgLW, 480-600kg $1.68-$1.87/kgLW and dairy types 500-650kg $1.52-$1.66/kgLW.
Heifers 500-600kg earned $1.63-$1.74/kgLW, 450-500kg $1.53-$1.61/kgLW and dairy sorts 380-500kg made $1.47-$1.57/kgLW.
Bulls held firm in the market, with 850-1000kg fetching $1.14-$1.22/kgLW, 550-850kg $1.55-$1.79/kgLW and 450-550 $1.40-$1.52/kgLW.
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 making $0.70-$0.95/kgLW.
Store lambs sold on a similar market to the previous week, with forward lambs selling from $63 to $74, medium $54-$63 and smaller lambs $43-$54.
Heavy prime lambs returned $95-$112, medium $81-$94 and lighter lambs $68-$79.
Prime 1-shear ewes earned $96-$106, medium $82-$90 and light $72-$76, while heavy adult butcher ewes fetched up to $106, medium $69-$77, light $55-$65 and stores $35-$53.
The Tekapo and Omarama adult ewe fairs both followed the season's trend of extremely strong sales, with good demand before a strong buyer gallery pushing prices up $10-$15 on last year's.
Two-tooths topped $103, with better-conditioned types generally selling from $90 to $103, while medium 2-tooths ranged from $80 to $90 and lesser conditioned $60-$70.
Mixed-age ewes sold from $75 to $90 while adult ewes had a particularly strong sale, with an exceptional line at the Omarama sale fetching $140. Heavy types generally ranged from $90 to $135, mediums $70-$90 and lighter ewes $50-$65.
The Merino ram sale at Tekapo saw 24 of the 31 rams offered sold at auction, with the top price of the sale at $2150. The best of the rams ranged from $1500 to $2000 while the rest sold at $800-$1500.

OTAGO
Good-quality prime lambs and prime ewes again sold well at Balclutha last week, with another good-sized yarding presented, Barry Osborne of PGG Wrightson, Milton, said.
Heavy prime lambs traded at $88 to $96, with medium sorts making $79-$86 and light $71-$78.
Medium 2-tooths made $70 and light earned $55. Heavy ewes went for $70 to $79, medium $60-$68 and light $51-$58. Lower-condition ewes were done and dusted at $35.
Osborne said a big yarding of quality store lambs was offered and sold with values on a par with previous sales.
Top woolly store lambs earned $70 to $70.50, with medium sorts going from $62.50 to $68 and light $55-$60.
The top shorn lambs traded at $70.50, medium $64 and light $52. Tail-end lambs were sent off at $40-$46.
In the store cattle pens, good-condition R2 steers 418kg earned $840, or $2.00/kgLW. Top R2 steers 538kg went for $910, $1.69/kgLW, R2 Friesian medium bulls 406kg made $670, $165/kgLW and R2 medium heifers 373kg were seen off at $660, $1.77/kgLW.
Osborne said the big yarding of store cattle sold with values and demand slightly better than at the previous sale.

SOUTHLAND
Heavy prime lambs fetched $90 at last week's Charlton sale, while medium types earned $75-$80. Lighter prime lambs sold for $75.
PGG Wrightson livestock representative David Martin said heavy adult ewes went under the hammer for $80, the next cut realised $64-$70 and lighter ewes made $50. Very light ewes were auctioned for $45.
The best forward store lambs earned $70, medium lambs fetched $65-$69 and lighter lambs sold for $55. Very light lambs made $45-$48.
In the cattle pens, beef-cross steers 345-390kg realised $1.80/kgLW, beef-cross heifers fetched $1.60-$1.65/kgLW and off-type cattle sold for $1.50/kgLW. Friesian steers 410kg made $1.50-$1.55/kgLW.

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