Friday, March 29, 2024

Stortford Lodge prime and store sales 26.03

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Store lamb buyers once again had to stretch the budgets at Stortford Lodge on Wednesday as prices continued to improve. Monday’s sale was a quiet affair with low numbers of both cattle and sheep.
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Very few prime cattle were penned last Monday with the only feature being a nice line of Angus cows, 534kg, which made $1.86/kg.

A good sized buying bench were in place for the sheep section though the top end lambs did not reach the highs of the previous sale, but they also did not have the weight.

Heavy mixed sex made steady returns at $148-$151, while medium-good types firmed to $136-$140.50.  Medium lambs were steady at $121.50-$135, with the tail end easing to $85-$100.

In the ewe pens three very heavy girls topped the sale at $191, while other heavy types managed $140-$150. The remainder of ewes were steady with only the light end easing. Very good types made $129-$131, medium to medium-good $118-$122, light-medium $97.50-$110, and the very light end eased to $69.

Local buyers were out in force last Wednesday, keen to secure lines of the nearly 4900 head store lambs. They had to work to achieve that with prices strong across the whole sale and very little differentiating male and ewe lambs as the ewe market took a lift of around $6 per head. With buyers very consistent in their bids the sale was easily split into four price brackets covering both the male and ewe lines. Heavy types traded at $118-$131, good $104-$119, medium $108-$112 and lighter $85-$110. Just three lines of the entire yarding fell below $100, though they were light types.

The store cattle market was best described as sticky, though that was a reflection of a very mixed yarding of cattle.

Angus steers were the best sellers in the R2 pens though were off the pace of recent levels as 397-425kg made $2.97-$2.99/kg. Two lines of 448kg Hereford-Friesian were very different types of cattle which was reflected in a significant price difference of $2.90/kg for the better line, compared to $2.59/kg.

A specially advertised consignment of exotic heifers found local homes at slightly softer rates than of late, though traded to expectations. Charolais-cross, 368-450kg, sold over a tight range of $2.68-$2.70/kg, and Simmental, 378kg, returned $2.72/kg. Angus-Friesian, 401kg, topped the section at $2.77/kg, with all the better lines making $2.67-$2.77/kg.

There was still solid demand for a consignment of good condition, well-presented beef-exotic cross calves. Local buyers paid a fair price for them, with the steers making $820-$945 for 204-238kg, while the heifers weighed very similar and made $710-$750.

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