Cattle prices steady at boosted Wellsford sale

08-02-2010 | Not Specified


NORTHLAND
Dry conditions brought cattle from Dargaville region to bolster local numbers at Wellsford last week and the market maintained steady prices, Grant Pallister of PGG Wrightson said.
In the cattle pens.18-month steers 350 to 400kg traded at $1.80 to $1.83kg/LW, with 300-350kg making $1.77-$1.94kg/LW.
Eighteen-month heifers 250-320kg went for $1.72-$1.87kg/LW.
R1 steers 150-200kg realised $2.18-$2.52kg/LW and 100-150kg steers made $2.98-$3.59kg/LW.
R1 heifers 150-200kg sold for $1.91-$2.38kg/LW, with 90-130kg heifers making $2.93-$3.28kg/LW.
Pallister said sheep numbers were down due to the short week, but ewes sold well.
Heavy prime lambs went for $80 to $86, with medium sorts making $70-$75 and light $63-$67.
Heavy store lambs went under the hammer at $53-$55 and medium $42 to $45.
Good mixed-age ewes made $70-$82, medium $54-$64 and light $40.
Prices were firmer with the rise in the schedule and only 300 cattle on offer at Kaikohe last week, PGG Wrightson agent Vaughan Vujcich reported.
Thirty-month Charolais and whiteface steers made $1.70-$1.76/kgLW, Friesian-cross earned $1.60-$1.65/kgLW, Angus weaner bulls sold for $2.22-$2.30/kgLW, with dairy-bred weaner bulls making $340-$370.
Two-year heifers fetched $1.64-$1.67/kgLW, weaner heifers realised $330-$350, Friesian cows went for $1.03-$1.13/kgLW and lesser sorts made $0.86-$0.91/kgLW.

COUNTIES
Last Thursday’s store cattle sale at Tuakau attracted a light yarding of only 300 cattle and the market was very similar to the previous week, PGG Wrightson agent Robin Eyre said.
R2 steers sold at $1.85-$1.88/kgLW, with a small offering of R1 steers averaging $1.98/kgLW.
Weaner steers sold from $420 and the top money of $460 was paid for good Hereford/Friesian steers at 115kg.
A line of 18-month heifers made $1.85-$1.97/kgLW and a handful of weaner heifers earned $350.
 Eyre said prices at last Wednesday’s prime sale were also on a par with the previous week.
Heavy steers sold up to $1.84/kgLW, with medium steers making $1.76-$1.80/kgLW. Heifers returned $1.67-$1.725/kgLW.
Prices for the small offering of beef cows ranged from $1.30/kgLW to $1.45/kgLW and bulls sold up to $1.87/kgLW.
Friesian boner cows traded at $0.98/kgLW to $1.20/kgLW.
Eyre said the market was firm at the sheep on Monday last week. Good prime lambs made $75 to $90 and medium lambs earned $65-$75.
Store lambs ranged from $40 to $60 and the better butcher’s ewes made $50-$63. Lighter ewes sold down to $30.

BAY OF PLENTY
There was a very strong cattle market at Rangiuru last week as the region enjoyed a good soaking of rain.
Rod Kamphorst of PGG Wrightson reported that yearlings sold very well, as did the R2 steers which were of good quality although live-weights were not high. It was a relatively short entry of just over 300 head.
R3 steers over 400kg brought $760-$790, $1.76-$1.80/kgLW and the better R2 steers, all under 400kg, made $728-$735, $1.94-$2.06/kgLW, while $625-$695 took good medium lines, $1.96-$2.08/kgLW. Lighter made $415-$452.
R3 heifers topped at $850-$930, $1.65-$1.68/kgLW and other heifers weighing over 400kg traded at $635-$685, $1.49-$1.60/kgLW.
The best R2 heifers went at $730, $1.68/kgLW and the mediums made $530-$605, $1.70-$1.93/kgLW.
All yearling steers exceeded $2.00/kgLW, selling at $2.07-$2.25/kgLW with two lots of whiteface steers making $3.30-$3.78/kg LW. One pen of 270kg Charolais made $560, with $390-$412 taking most. Small traded at $280-$355.
The popularity of whiteface bulls showed with the $3.23-$3.71/kgLW paid for most lots. These ranged from $320 to $495. Friesian bull fetched $485 for a top line weighing 150kg, $2.23/kgLW and $310-$338 secured lines around 100-150kg, $1.88-$2.34/kgLW.
$680 was paid for a single 270kg Jersey yearling bull, $2.52/kgLW. Other Jerseys fetched $310-$362, $2.34-$2.79/kgLW.
Young heifers followed the same trend, selling at $2.09-$2.88/kgLW, making $380-$450 for tops and $275-$300 for smaller.

WAIKATO
The guesswork calculators were at work at Frankton for the second week last week as problems with the scales continue. Around 470 cattle sold on a solid note, with a strong demand.
Allied Farmers reports show good R3 steers over 500kg returned $910-$945, $1.64-$1.82/kgLW. Many other lines made $805-$890, $1.61-$1.80/kgLW.
R2 steers received similar rates, with one or two lots selling at $2.05-$2.10/kgLW, but most were $1.70-$1.95/kgLW depending on quality. The two top sales were $800 and $805, $1.82/kgLW and $1.70/kgLW respectively.
Better whiteface steers returned $670-$730 and virtually all Friesian lines made $505-$605, $1.76-$1.90/kgLW.
A few weaner Friesian bulls were traded at $225, $2.23/kgLW and the only R3 heifers offered made $635, $1.55/kgLW. R2 heifers went at $625, $1.61/kgLW.
The prime sale on Monday last week was very small and selling was done from the rails.
Ox made $1055 for the best, $950 for mediums and smaller went at $850. Top money for prime heifers was $840 and best cows fetched $662-$670. Light cows were down to $250.
Heavy bulls made to $1218, mediums returned $900 and smaller $825.

POVERTY BAY

Gross returns from store lambs climbed another floor last week at Matawhero when 2331 nice lambs went under the hammer.
Several lines were in killable order and these made $80-$90, the top-priced males making $2.10/kgLW and the others $2.35 to $2.38/kgLW.
It was virtually impossible to buy any lamb for less than $2.30/kgLW and some lots in the 23-30kg range fetched $2.46-$2.60/kgLW.
As a comparison with the previous week, one station sent in 432 males on January 28 and received $76.50 for 32.5kg lambs, $2.35/kgLW. Last Friday 540 similar lambs, but weighed at 29kg, brought $74.50, $2.56.kgLW.
All lambs were bright and healthy and were enthusiastically chased by local buyers. “You can’t make money out of an empty paddock” seemed to be the philosophy.
All medium and good medium lambs, regardless of sex, sold from $70 to $79 and, out of 33 lots, only five made less than $60.
A very short entry of prime lambs made $76.50-$95.50 and the few butcher ewes penned went at $54.50-$68, while paddock ewes in store order made $41 to $62.50.
In all, 2817 sheep came forward.
The region is seeing the smallest yardings of lambs in memory and given the recent downpours, that is not likely to change.

TARANAKI
The recent rain is keeping all cattle prices at Stratford well above works schedules as grass grows in the region, with prime Hereford ox 665kg last week attracting $1.815/kgLW.
Prime steers: Hereford-cross 525-576.7kg $1.75-$1.785/kgLW, Hereford/Friesian 573.3kg $1.775/kgLW, Friesian 572.5kg $1.805/kgLW, Hereford/Friesian 595kg $1.785/kgLW.
Prime heifers: Shorthorn-cross 550kg $1.795/kgLW, Hereford-cross 496.7kg $1.78/kgLW, Hereford/Friesian 517.5kg $1.76/kgLW, Angus-cross 495kg $1.74/kgLW, Friesian 565kg $1.795/kgLW, Ayrshire 500kg $1.535/kgLW.
Steers, 30-month: Angus-cross 650kg $1.83/kgLW, Hereford/Friesian 650kg $1.825/kgLW.
Steers, 2-year: Hereford/Friesian 427.5kg $1.82/kgLW, Charolais-cross 485kg $1.77/kgLW, Angus-cross 537.5kg $1.745/kgLW.
Heifers, 2-year: Crossbred 455-465kg $1.54-$1.66/kgLW, Hereford/Friesian 415-
465kg $1.65-$1.755/kgLW, Hereford-cross 465kg $1.74/kgLW, Murray Grey 460kg $1.75/kgLW.
Steers, 18-month: Hereford/Friesian 420-435kg $1.65-$1.78/kgLW, Friesian 440kg $1.65/kgLW. Eighteen-month crossbred heifers 385kg $1.26/kgLW.
Cows: Hereford-cross 465kg $1.625/kgLW, Hereford/Friesian 511.7-515kg $1.215-$1.26/kgLW, crossbred 610kg $1.80/kgLW, Angus-cross 510kg $1.75/kgLW, Dexter 390kg $120. Once-bred Hereford/Friesian heifers 540kg $1.74/kgLW.
Store cows: Friesian 360-580kg $0.90-$1.23/kgLW, Friesian-cross 395kg $1.00/kgLW, Jersey-cross 410-435kg $0.90-$0.94/kgLW, Jersey 350kg $0.81/kgLW, crossbred 425-460kg $0.98-$1.03/kgLW.
In-calf Friesian heifers 488.8-570kg $1.15-$1.86/kgLW.
Empty Friesian-cross cows 500kg $1.09/kgLW. Empty Jersey heifers 425kg $1.26/kgLW, empty Friesian heifers 580kg $1.80/kgLW. Two-year Angus rig 440kg $1.59/kgLW.
Bulls, 3-year: Jersey 625-640kg $1.80-$1.89/kgLW, Hereford-cross 665kg $1.89/kgLW, Hereford 630-792.5kg $1.84-$1.96/kgLW, Hereford/Friesian 805kg $1.80/kgLW, Angus 725kg $1.89/kgLW, crossbred 615-715kg $1.76-$1.895/kgLW.
Bulls, 2-year: Jersey 442.2-590kg $1.65-$1.835/kgLW, Hereford-cross 540kg $1.72/kgLW, Hereford 545-657.5kg $1.87-$1.93/kgLW, crossbred 530kg $1.62-$1.73/kgLW, Tiger 505kg $1.64/kgLW, Angus 516.3-557.5kg $1.71-$1.93/kgLW, Ayrshire 605kg $1.80/kgLW, Jersey 440kg $750, Ayrshire 360kg $620.
Bulls, 18-month: Jersey 300-430kg $810-$830, Ayrshire 455kg $710.
Fifteen-month Jersey bulls 370kg $830.
A limited number of cattle sold well at the Taranaki Livestock Centre last Wednesday.
Thirty-month Ayrshire-cross/Hereford steers 546.7-600kg made $910-$1000, 30-month Hereford-cross steers 562.5kg $955. Two-year Angus-cross steers 333.3kg $540.
Two-year Angus heifers 398.8kg $648, 2-year Hereford-cross heifers 420-465kg $682-$765.
Crossbred beef cows rwb 453.8kg $530, Hereford cow rwb 730kg $900. In-calf Friesian heifers 293.3kg $520.
Steers, 20-month: Hereford/Friesian 340-405kg $620-$750, Angus-cross 340kg $590, Angus 337.5kg $680, Friesian 370kg $570. Crossbred heifers 370kg $630.
Steers, 18-month: Simmental-cross 350-380kg $520-$760, Friesian 390kg $610, Ayrshire 365kg $570, Hereford/Friesian 338-377kg $710-$765.
Eighteen-month Hereford/Friesian bulls 295kg $510. Fifteen-month crossbred steers 245kg-260kg $290-$360.
Weaners: Crossbred steers 140-145kg $310-$350, crossbred heifers 155kg $310, Hereford/Friesian heifers 182.5kg $370, Jersey bulls 155kg $275.
In the sheep pens, prime hoggets traded at $72.
Ewes: Suffolk $60, mixed-age Suffolk $77, 2-tooth $20, Wilshire $62, mixed-age $31-$49.50, 6-year Romney $75.
Lambs: Prime $60-$82, mixed-sex $46-$67, ewe $45-$52, wether $53, ram $45-$68, Suffolk ram $56-$120. Rams $40, Wilshire rams $117, Suffolk rams $60-$175.

HAWKE’S BAY
Vendors of the 1300 store lambs penned at Stortford Lodge last week had reason to wear wide smiles as the huge demand and vast feed supplies saw values advancing by 10-15c/kgLW.
The entire offering sold at $2.10-$2.60/kgLW. Good medium male lambs fetched $68-$74 with nothing under $62. Better ewe lambs traded at $69-$74. Mediums made $66-$68 and even very small were $52, similar rates applying to mixed-sex lines.
Some of the heat appears to have gone from the breeding-ewe market, with good 6-tooth ewes selling at $90, while most other ages and groups fetched $61-$64.
There was not a lot of change to the cattle rates, with just over 100 head offered, many from the Chatham Islands.
A good pen of R2 Angus steers made $842, $2.06/kgLW and average sorts weighing less than 300kg realised $555-$645, $2.03-$2.42/kgLW.
A line of R3 Friesian heifers at 547kg brought $880, $1.61/kgLW and beef-bred R2 heifers over 300kg sold at $680-$722, $1.87-$1.90/kgLW. Light heifers, mainly crossbred, fetched $347-$470, $1.70-$1.95/kgLW.

MANAWATU

Strong demand was evident in the sheep market at Feilding on Friday, with mixed-age ewes making up to $85, Elders agent Damian Clarke reported.
Medium five and six-year ewes made $60 to $70, while very good male lambs fetched $78-$82, good males $72-$76, good blackface lambs $78-$80 and medium blackface $70-$75. Medium lambs made $65-$72 and even small lambs made $50 to $58.
Elders agent Darrin Holm said there was an outstanding sale of cattle, with 30-month steers leading the way at $1.95-$2.00/kgLW and 18-month steers making $2.00-$2.20/kgLW.
Big 30-month heifers sold for $700 to $750, 18-month heifers made from $1.80-$2.00/kgLW and autumn-born Friesian heifers went out at $2.10-$2.30/kgLW.

CANTERBURY
There was a strong sale of all classes of stock at last week’s Canterbury Park sale. PGG Wrightson livestock manager Shane Dickson said there was a large yarding of prime sheep, with heavy prime lambs making $100-$109 with exceptional sales to $130 while medium prime lambs fetched $91-$97.
Lighter prime lambs sold down to $84 and unfinished lambs realised $70-$74.
Dickson says prime ewes sold very well with heavy ewes selling for $75-$85, with exceptional sales to $95, while medium ewes were auctioned for $65-$73. Lighter-condition ewes fetched $51-$58.
There was a small-to-medium yarding of store lambs and the best forward stores realised $70-$73 and medium lambs earned $65-$68. Lighter store lambs made $60-$65.
Values for prime cattle lifted slightly, with heavy prime steers selling for $1.75-$1.78/kgLW, while medium steers earned $1.70-$1.72/kgLW. Crossbred types went under the hammer for $1.56-$1.69/kgLW.
Heavy prime heifers earned $1.67-$1.69/kgLW, with exceptional sales to $1.75/kgLW. Crossbred heifers fetched $1.63/kgLW.

MID CANTERBURY
Store lambs were keenly sought, fetching prices up to $80, while prime sheep held firm on the previous sale at Tinwald last week, PGG Wrightson acting livestock manager Emmett Sparrow said.
Heavy prime lambs fetched up to $107, with medium to heavy types earning $88-$95 and lighter lambs selling down to $75.
Heavy prime ewes earned $76, while medium sorts returned $60-$64 and lighter types sold down to $44.
The tops of the store lambs fetched $80 for good forward types. Corriedale-cross lambs  earned $68.50 to $72.50. Halfbred lambs fetched $66.60 to $80 with smaller stores returning $59-$62.

SOUTH CANTERBURY
The feature of the sale week for Temuka last week was the adult ewe fair that with 18,000 ewes and an incredibly strong buyer gallery “was a ripper”, declared PGG Wrightson livestock manager Joe Higgins.
Store lambs also faced buoyant demand, lifting $3-$4/head while prime cattle had a similar sale to the previous week and store cattle continued the strong sales trend of recent weeks.
Prime steers lifted 2c/kg, with 600-700kg types earning $1.65-$1.73/kgLW, 480-600kg $1.63-$1.77/kgLW and dairy types 450-650kg $1.50-$1.65/kgLW.
Heifers 500-600kg returned $1.60-$1.68/kgLW, 450-500kg $1.55-$1.70/kgLW and dairy sorts 380-500kg $1.30-$1.53/kgLW.
Bulls lifted 4c/kg, with 850-1000kg selling from $1.06 to $1.10/kgLW, 700-850kg $1.50-$1.60/kgLW, 550-700kg $1.58-$1.67/kgLW and 450-550kg $1.48-$1.53/kgLW.
Heavy beef cows fetched $1.04-$1.10/kgLW, mediums $0.88-$1.04/kgLW and dairy types $0.75-$1.06/kgLW.
A very big yarding of prime sheep was sold, with prices strengthening $3-$5/head, making better money than the meatworks market.
Heavy 1-shear ewes fetched $85-$99, medium $75-$84 and light $51-$65. The best of the adult butcher ewes earned up to $104, with medium types returning $65-$74, light $50-$64 and stores $42-$49.  Prime lambs held firm, with heavy lambs selling from $95 to $111, medium $80-$94 and light $74-$79.
Store lambs had a very strong sale, with 9000 yarded. Several advertised lines boosted the sale, with fetching prices of $63-$74 for good forward types, medium $56-$62 and smaller lambs $45-$55.
The store cattle sale featured a very good quality line of 400 Hereford/Friesians from a North Otago vendor that saw 15-month steers 307-487kg selling from $650 to $865, with second cut selling from $465 to $625 in the 291-362kg weight range.
Fifteen-month heifers 302-422kg fetched $550-$735, with second cut 248-271kg earning $425-$520. R3 steers 338-524kg returned $640-$900 and R3 heifers 358-459kg made $550-$765.
The best of the Friesian/dairy beef bull calves 137-213kg sold from $350 to $420 and lesser quality 96-113kg returned $210-$300.
The adult ewe fair got off to a very buoyant start, with the sale of three capital stock lines of Romney and Kelso ewes.
All stock was presented in top condition, with prices for the 18,000 ewes sold exceeding agents and vendors’ expectations.
Two-tooths sold from $140 to $165, with 2 and 3-shear ewes earning $120-$160, 4-shear $100-$125. Five-shear and annual draft ewes that made up the bulk of the sale fetched $100-$115, with lesser-quality types selling at $70-$90.
Fine wool sheep were generally back in price from the crossbreds by $10-$15/head.

OTAGO
Good prime lambs sold on a par with the previous sale at Balclutha last week, with the yarding of good quality, Barry Osborne of PGG Wrightson, Milton, reported. Prime ewes were also on a par with previous sales, with a very large yarding presented, he said.
Heavy prime lambs went under the hammer for $88 to $94, medium made $77-$85 and light realised $68-$74.      Heavy ewes traded at $68-$78, medium sorts made $59-$65 and light $48-$55. Lower-condition ewes fetched $40.
Osborne said a good-sized yarding of excellent-quality store lambs sold exceptionally well again last week.
Top woolly store lambs made $68 to $76, medium sorts made $62-$67 and light attracted $54-$60.
Top blackface lambs were auctioned for $70-$84, medium $63-$68 and light went for $57.
Wairere Romney AD breeding ewes sold for $75.
In the store cattle pens, another medium-sized yarding of average quality again met good demand and values were similar to previous sales, Osborne said.
Good-condition R2 Hereford-cross steers 563kg made $930, $1.65/kgLW, R2 Angus-cross steers in medium condition 457kg traded at $740, $1.62/kgLW.
Good-condition R1Angus-cross steers 388kg realised $750, $1.94/kgLW and R1 Angus-cross heifers in good condition 343kg sold for $750, $1.99/kgLW.

SOUTHLAND
The top 2-tooth-cross ewes sold for up to $204 at last week’s Lorneville 2-tooth and ewe lamb fair.
PGG Wrightson livestock representatives said the top 2-tooth ewes (predominately Border Leicester-cross ewes) made $192-$204 and the top-priced ewes were sold by J A and B E Hills of Edendale. Medium 2-tooth ewes earned $180-$190 and smaller ewes fetched $170-$175.
In the ewe lamb section, the top Border Leicester-cross ewe lambs earned $122 to $136 and medium lambs fetched $98-$112.
Demand was good for all classes of stock at last week’s Charlton sale.
PGG Wrightson livestock representatives said heavy prime lambs fetched up to $90, while medium lambs earned $75-$77. Lighter prime lambs realised $70-$74.
Good-quality 2-tooths made $75 and heavy adult ewes sold for $80. Medium adult ewes fetched $68 and lighter types were auctioned for $55.
Store lambs sold extremely strongly, with the best forward store lambs making $73, while medium types realised $65. Smaller store lambs earned $55.
A line of 2-shear capital stock breeding ewes went under the hammer for $90.

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