EMERALD CATTLE SALE MARKET REPORT – THURSDAY 10TH OCTOBER 2024
Emerald agents presented 1690 head for this week’s sale; the quality & presentation improved however the larger portion were showing signs of a the drier season. Once again, there were no real stand out lines with numbers shared across most classes, with heifers under 350kg being the best represented. All regular processors were present with most operating on a small sample of bullocks and a patchy run of cows & only small numbers of heavy heifers or bulls. Feedlot buyers were active on any in the slot steers, whilst genuine feeder heifers were in very small numbers and struggled to gain traction.
In the store section of the sale there was those lots/pens that buyers wanted which mostly sold fully firm, however, in stark contrast given the way the season is shaping. It was perhaps no surprise that any lots/pens that weren’t in vogue eased back of recent results, in some cases quite significantly.
A fair run of Bullocks over 550kg sold to 345c to a/v 332c firm, the best cows over 520kg peaked at 269c on occasion to reportedly a/v 261c back 4c, medium cows eased a further 11c to top at 262c to a/v 233c, heifers over 400kg were darn near too few to quote with a high of 307c to a/v 298c, there was only a very small offering of bulls over 600kg however competition was still solid to make to 264c to a/v 246c back 9c.
Steers 400/500kg were mixed in age, breed and quality shown in the results the best reaching 362c to a/v 299c back 26c, steers 350/400kg too few to draw conclusion made to 362c to a/v 332c, steers 280/350kg were mixed & buyers were selective with sales to 346c however the average was back 14c at 272c, heifers 350/400kg again too few to give an accurate report topped at 286c to a/v 247c, heifers 280/350kg in much better supply was a class with two tales, the pens/lots buyers wanted sold fully firm and those that buyers didn’t want found it very tough going not really shown in the results with a high of 268c & a/v 218c.
Steers under 280kg the softer better bred calves sold well to reach 353c, however, those of the pace or of higher content struggled to see the average back 29c at 280c, steers under 200kg in lesser numbers was a similar story topping at 359c to a/v 282c, heifers 200/280kg this was the biggest class for the day the results pleasing, albeit this was also a class of two tales, with some pens severely discounted compared to previous sales however with a top of 280c to a/v 220c resulted in a lift of 4c overall, heifers under 200kg sold more consistently the best making 238c to a/v 219c.
| CATEGORY | WEIGHT RANGE | HEAD | MIN c/kg | MAX c/kg | AVG c/kg |
| STEERS | Under 200kg | 56 | 80 | 359 | 282 |
| 200 – 280kg | 153 | 100 | 353 | 279 | |
| 280 – 350kg | 93 | 100 | 346 | 272 | |
| 350 – 400kg | 33 | 260 | 360 | 333 | |
| 400 -500kg | 131 | 210 | 362 | 299 | |
| BULLOCKS | 500-550kg | 40 | 263 | 320 | 303 |
| 550+ | 116 | 264 | 345 | 332 | |
| HEIFERS | Under 200kg | 60 | 80 | 238 | 219 |
| 200 – 280kg | 307 | 112 | 280 | 221 | |
| 280 – 350kg | 166 | 70 | 268 | 218 | |
| 350 – 400kg | 27 | 209 | 286 | 247 | |
| Over 400kg | 30 | 268 | 307 | 299 | |
| COWS | 300-400kgs | 81 | 20 | NQ | NQ |
| 400 – 450kg | 125 | 130 | 259 | 216 | |
| 450-520kgs | 139 | 143 | 262 | 233 | |
| Over 520kgs | 80 | 245 | 269 | 261 | |
| BULLS | Up to 450kg | 39 | 100 | 240 | 144 |
| 450-600kg | 5 | 190 | 246 | 219 | |
| Over 600kg | 9 | 224 | 264 | 246 | |
| COWS & CALVES | – | – | – | – | |
| PTIC | – | – | – | – |