EMERALD CATTLE SALE MARKET REPORT – THURSDAY 20TH FEBRUARY 2025

As we get into the swing of 2025, vendors presented 2,300 for this week’s Emerald combined sale. Quality, consistency and presentation mostly improved, with most consignments drawn from local districts. The processing sector was well catered for and prices improved for near all classes, there was only a small sample of feeder steers, thus, hard to quote whilst a better supply of feeder heifers saw solid gains & whilst not swamped with orders there was definitely more interest from backgrounders, restockers & fatteners in the weaner, yearling and store classes.

Steers & Bullocks over 500kg were too few to quote, however those 500/550kg sold to 367c. Cows over 550kg prices improved slightly as the sale progressed to peak at 312c to average 301c up 4c, medium cows 450/520kg averaged 292c however, a few younger types perhaps should have been in the heifer pens made to 339c to help the average lift 13c to 292c, cows 400/450kg sold extremely well to see the averages lift 27c once again perhaps the old heifer sale quoted in this class distorting an accurate result, heifers over 400kg sold to 348c to average 319c firm. Bulls over 600kg not of the standard nor numbers of last week still sold well to top at 296c the average back 20c at 260c, a small sample of bulls 450/600kg suited to live export were sort after to reach 313c to average 301c.

Feeder steers 400/500kg in small mixed numbers, thus didn’t gain a lot of momentum selling to 370c to 347c back 10c, steers 350/400kg short numbers hard to accurately quote making to 378c to average 316c, steers 280/350kg also lacking numbers but mostly of good quality gained solid interest from local buyers to top at 436c to average 416c up 26c. Heifers 350/400kg in better supply and more pen ready gained 40c with a high of 340c to average 315c, heifers 280/350kg with a large single vendor line helping lift the numbers to be by far the largest class of the day, combined with a lift in quality saw a top at 326c to average 300c also up 40c.

Steers 200/280kg in smaller mixed vendor lots found strong competition with a high of 468c the average of 437c up a whopping 66c on last sale, steers under 200kg N/Q. Heifers 200/280kg in much better numbers made to an improved 328c to average 276c up 16c, heifers under 200kg N/Q.

Four smaller lots of cows and calves, sold from $1,100 to $1,960 per unit.