Livestock market report – Febuary 1, 2018

WITH up to 30mm falling in most parts of our region settling the dust, topping up tanks and giving a boost to thirsty summer fodder crops, farmers are hopeful that the lamb and cattle job lifts in response.

The new Western Victoria Livestock Exchange (WVLX) in Mortlake is up and running, with 735 prime cattle presented on Monday.

The new $15 million WVLX saleyards cover 6.9 acres with more than 400 selling pens under roof, most of which are soft floor comprised of sawdust, post peelings, sand and gravel while the 120 bull pens will have a soft rubber matting floor.

There are concerns that this new facility will put pressure on the viability of other selling centres, but only time will tell.

There were 17,000 lambs and 5,000 sheep yarded
at Ballarat on Tuesday.

Market Highlights Ballarat Sheep & Lamb:
Heavy export shorn lambs to $220
Trade lambs to $182
Good quality suckers to $156
Light processor lambs to $110
Trade Mutton to $114

Mortlake cattle
Monday’s yarding of 735 cattle at the new WVLX facility at Mortlake comprised of 313 grown steers, 199 young cattle, 165 cows and 58 bulls.

Quality was mixed with plain through to good quality in most categories.

A strong field of buyers attended along with many spectators watching on at this the second sale here at this new establishment.

Demand was good for the better quality grown steers and some vealers but nearly all other cattle saw competition drop off.

The C2 and C3 vealers sold from 222 to 274 cents with restockers paying 235 to 265 cents per kilogram.

The yearling steers to the processors were from 230 to 273 cents with restockers mainly purchasing between 230 and 264 cents and an odd single reached 272 cents per kilogram. Yearling heifers saw the C2 grade make 185 to 212 cents and the C3’s 240 to 248 cents. Restockers paid 228 to 245 cents with plainer C2’s from 205 cents per kilogram.

A wide range in quality saw C3 and C4 grown steers of medium to extra heavy weights sold between 225 and 267 cents and restockers paid mostly 240 to 263 cents with a sale down to 225 cents per kilogram.

Most good quality C3 and C4 grown heifers were from 230 to 250 cents per kilogram.

There was a good penning of C3 to C5 beef cows and prices ranged from 204 to 215 cents while the few D2 grade sold at 190 to 197 cents per kilogram.

The D1 cows made 160 to 178 cents with some down to 108 cents and most of the better quality heavy weight bulls were between 230 and 256 cents per kilogram.

Ballarat cattle
This week’s yarding of 128 head was down by 91 on previous sale and of mixed quality.

The yarding was made up of 66 steers, 23 cows, 9 bulls, 29 young cattle and a few pens of open auction young cattle.

Cattle sold similar to last week, on quality, with restockers purchasing most of the young cattle.

Vealers sold to restockers from 254 to 276 cents, with light steer vealers making 328 cents and 360 cents per kilogram.

Yearling heifers made 224 to 226 cents with restockers paying from 258 to 272 cents.

Grown steers sold from 226 to 251 cents, with a single bullock weighing 750 kilograms making 240 cents, restockers paid to 253 cents per kilogram.

Manufacturing steers sold to 208.6 cents with dairy types selling from 174 to 180 cents and restockers paid to 188 cents per kilogram.

Heavy C muscle beef cows sold from 199 to 212 cents, D muscle cows sold from 161 to 181 cents and medium weights sold from 151 to 172 cents per kilogram.

Heavy D muscle dairy types sold from 187.6 to 197 per kilogram and heavy bulls made from 215 to 230 cents per kilogram to be similar to last week.