Scone Stock Report: Jan 31

By Stuart Sheldrake

THERE was a yarding of 1,519 cattle this week, which was an increase of 250 on last week and that’s mainly due to hot and dry conditions.

There were a couple of hundred for export, bull prices were firm and the cow market was firm to maybe a couple of cents easier but overall very strong.

The majority of the yarding in plainer offering of cattle was made up of mainly restocking weaner and yearling cattle along with a few more steer and heifers with milk and two teeth weighing 380 to 450 kilos.

A lot of those cattle were being brought to go back onto feed and those cattle sold to firm to maybe a couple of cents dearer to last week’s prices.

The feedlots were very strong and a couple of the big players were very strong in the market and have been for a few weeks.

Fewer trade cattle were about, fewer butcher calves, but was on offer sold very well and sold to firm rates, but fewer numbers off those.

Lighter weaner cattle were dearer today, probably up to ten to 15 cents dearer; there were some good quality steers and heifers in the vicinity of 200 to 250 kilos and they have been hard to find.

With the good spring we experienced a lot of cattle have weight at the moment so lighter cattle are hard to find for restocking.

With the weather we’ve been experiencing there are pockets of storms with rain in them and while some people have missed out others have been fortunate.

Over the range, Tamworth and up through that country they’ve had a number of storms and the country up there is considerably better.

Last week Tamworth only yarded 1,300 and we yarded 1,500 and they typically yard more cattle than we do.