The Nationwide Livestock Reporting Service has cattle yardings at 97,326 head, a drop of about 3,000 head from the earlier week. The previous fortnight has been the 2 highest yarding numbers of the yr, and we’ve solely had two weeks under the NLRS rolling two-year-average yarding determine (66,139) because the starting of spring. This week’s numbers have been 25% increased year-on-year, and 47% above the five-year-average for this particular week. The earlier two weeks sat at 70% above the five-year-average. In flip, final week’s slaughter stage was additionally elevated, about 8% increased than the identical week in 2024.
Excluding the dairy cow worth, which tends to have extra volatility than the opposite nationwide indicators, all classes solely dropped between 5¢/kg and 12¢/kg this week. Heifers confirmed extra resilience in each the restocker and feeder sectors in comparison with their male counterparts, falling by 5¢/kg and eight¢/kg respectively, regardless of each indicators rising in throughput week-on-week. Restocker heifers closed at 400¢/kg, which was the primary time in two months it dropped again under the five-year-average worth. Roma, Queensland retailer sale had greater than a 3rd of the indicator throughput and averaged 416¢/kg, nevertheless it wasn’t sufficient to counteract the sub-400¢/kg averages at Gracemere, Qld, and throughout a lot of the NSW yards.
Heavy and feeder steers are sitting on the largest year-on-year premiums throughout the nationwide indicators, and regardless of having misplaced 7¢/kg and 10¢/kg respectively this week, are nonetheless performing traditionally stronger in comparison with the heifer classes. Heavy steers are about 28% above the five-year worth, whereas feeder steers are buying and selling about 15% stronger. Roma additionally had the key yarding for heavy steers, however averaged 431¢/kg in comparison with the nationwide common of 443¢/kg, whereas Wagga Wagga, NSW, had essentially the most feeder steers and once more traded under the nationwide worth, averaging 456¢/kg in comparison with 470¢/kg.
Processor cow numbers remained elevated, and the worth dipped 9¢/kg to 379¢/kg, however they too are buying and selling strongly in comparison with long-term worth guides, roughly 35% above the five-year vary and greater than 50% above the 10-year worth.
