Livestock market report

WITH one of the wettest starts to spring still causing headaches for farmers who are seeing crops starting to suffer and livestock struggling in the wet, especially on flat country, many are looking forward to warmer weather and a chance to get back on the paddocks.

Crops spraying and fertilising are on hold with feeding out and general farm activities hindered by the wet, with access to many paddocks only possible by motorbike, but at least the dams are full.

Spring lambing is in full swing with fox kills increasing as hunting activities are also being hindered by the wet.

Demand is still firm for cow and calf outfits with restockers paying up to $2,500 at last week’s store sale.

Ballarat Sheep Market Highlights:

Heavy lambs made to $178

All other lambs $2 to $4 dearer

All grades of sheep $3 to $5 cheaper

Best cross bred ewes $110 to $115

Merino wethers to $112

Ballarat Cattle:

This week’s fat sale at Ballarat on Monday saw ayarding 158 cattle, marginally up on last sale.

Overall quality was the best presented for a while and was mostly good with C muscled 3 and 4 score cattle making up the bulk of the offering.

There was a good run of beef cows and more grown steers were penned.

The regular meat companies and restockers were present and active but prices did not meet the improved quality.

Nearly all cattle were again from unchanged to 10 cents per kilogram cheaper with the yarding comprised of 50 steers, 73 heifers, 22 cows and 13 bulls.

The C3 and C3 vealers were from 240 to 288 cents with restockers paying to 302 cents per kilogram.

Yearling steers made from 240 to 281 cents and yearling heifers were between 220 and 246 cents per kilogram.

Restockers paid 246 and 266 cents for steers and 227 cents per kilogram for heifers.

The C3 and C4 grown steers were between 243 and 264 cents, while the grown heifer portion made from 238 to 255 cents per kilogram.

A few D2 cows sold from 197 to 207 cents, while the several larger pen lots of C3 to C5 cows made from 222 to 242 cents per kilogram.

There was a good to very good line up of B2 heavy weight bulls and they made from 240 to 260 cent per kilogram.