EMERALD CATTLE SALE MARKET REPORT – THURSDAY 16TH OCTOBER 2025

Emerald Combined Agents yarded 2,990 head at this week’s prime and store sale, a significantly larger yarding compared to last week. Overall it was a plainer quality yarding, many cattle lacking condition reflecting the ongoing dry seasonal conditions. Cattle were consigned from most corners of local districts, combined with several lines from northern regions. The trend for near all categories was buyers were very selective, with the better bred or presented pens selling to strong competition, whilst those lesser presented or not hitting a certain criteria met a very selective buying panel.

Steers over 500kg, a much improved run of bullocks attracted strong competition, selling to 424c/kg to average 391c/kg. Steers 400-500kg trebled in numbers, the best selling to 428 c/kg, the average bounced back to 394c/kg. Steers 350-400kg topped at 430c/kg to average 386c/kg, improving 41c. The better bred steers in the 280-350kg range  reached 490c/kg, however the mixed offering yielded an average of 357c/kg. Steers 200-280kg topped at 488c/kg, buyers were once again selective, to see the average at 410c/kg, up 10c.

Heifers over 400kg sold to 399c/kg to average 369c/kg, improving 20c. Heifers 350-400 kg in good numbers sold to 384c/kg to average 359c/kg, up 9c. Heifers 280-350kg mixed in age and quality peaked at 404c/kg to average 334c/kg, easing 6c. In the 200-280kg heifer range, buyers were extremely selective, shown in the results, the best making to 404c/kg, however the average was 288c/kg.

Cows over 520kg, lacking any real numbers or polish, sold to 364c/kg to average 321c/kg, easing 20c. Cows 450-520kg sold to 347c/kg to average 296 c/kg, back 19c. Cows 400-450 kg reached 346c/kg to average 276c/kg, an increase of 20c.

A single cow and calf unit sold for $1120.

CATEGORY WEIGHT RANGE HEAD MIN c/kg MAX c/kg AVG c/kg
STEERS Under 200kg 1 380 380 380
200 – 280kg 241 100 488 410
280 – 350kg 121 165 490 357
350 – 400kg 150 50 430 386
400 -500kg 33 254 428 394
BULLOCKS Under 500kg
Over 500kg 201 200 424 391
HEIFERS Under 200kg 36 20 292 211
200 – 280kg 313 20 404 288
280 – 350kg 403 100 404 334
350 – 400kg 394 180 384 359
Over 400kg 289 110 399 369
COWS 300-400kg 96 20 338 223
400 – 450kg 123 30 346 376
450-520kg 185 60 347 296
Over 520kg 147 56 364 322
BULLS Up to 450kg 32 180 288 261
450-600kg 9 180 320 282
Over 600kg 31 240 376 332
COWS & CALVES 1 x 1 $1120
PTIC – – – –

Highlights

Bettafield Charolais and Charbrays, Gindie, sold Charolais cross prime heifers for 399c/kg, weighing 710kg to return $2,834 per head. Their best cows sold to 363c/kg, weighing 810kg to return $2,940 per head.

G Hutton, Comet, sold Santa cross cows to 350c/kg at 658kg to return $2,305 per head.

A & L Boni, Capella, sold Brangus cross bullocks to 424c/kg, weighing 603kg to return $2,559 per head.

Anderson and Melano, Alpha, sold Simmental cross steers for 486c/kg, weighing 250kg to return $1,215 per head.