Spring fair action hit the store cattle yards last Thursday as 1600 cattle went under the hammer.
Lambs from the Chatham Islands and Central Otago helped lift sheep numbers to 7800 head. Of that 3800 were in the store pens, though due to the inclusion of the lambs from the island most were heavy mixed sex. This market had a softer tone though still managed $164-$189, with medium to good lambs making $120-$153. Light lines sold for $86-$115. A consignment of Merino hoggets made good value at $121-$158.
Very heavy prime lambs came back $5-$10, but the volume of these types meant that just under half of the section traded at $200-$215, with a further 40% ranging from $180-$199.
More ewes with lambs-at-foot ventured forward and met keen interest. A line of 61 ewes and 56 lambs made $112 all counted, while other lines ranged from $80 to $120.
A regular buyer’s return to the ewe market firmed prices and a good portion sold for $202-$262, with $110-$168 common for the remainder.
A lack of buyers for cattle meant all classes at least eased, though cows dropped by a bigger degree.
Fewer steers hit $3.00/kg mark, with prices for heavier traditional lines easing 4-5c/kg to $2.90-$3.00/kg. Three Angus, 520-540kg, did sneak up to $3.08/kg, but 470-518kg eased to $2.80-$2.86/kg.
All bar very heavy heifers came back 10-15c/kg and Hereford, 448-556kg, sold in two ranges – with better yielding types making $2.86-$2.91/kg, and second cuts, $2.75-$2.81/kg.
Boner cows lost 9-18c/kg and heavier lines really felt the impact, with lighter lines not punished quite so much. Friesian, 493-705kg, sold for $1.75-$1.86/kg, and 400-493kg, $1.64-$1.73/kg.
The first real spring cattle fair for Temuka was a game of two halves, with sensational prices for traditional and exotic cattle, but hard work on beef-dairy.
One vendor was responsible for all the two-year traditional and exotic steers, and also a large portion in the one-year section. The two-year steers sold at $3.27/kg and better, with $3.40-$3.53/kg very common, meaning all achieved $1470-$1650.
Hereford and Angus heifers sold for a premium as 359-442kg earned $3.11-$3.19/kg. Gelvbieh met keen interest with 436-444kg at $2.99-$3.00/kg, but Hereford-Friesian heifers, 413-436kg, eased to $2.81-$2.89/kg. The older bulls were mainly Friesian-cross and from 359kg up to 460kg sold over a tight range of $2.57-$2.69/kg.
Bids flowed freely for two main consignments of traditional and exotic cattle, and most traditional steers from 200kg up to 350kg were close to or above $4.00/kg, while beef-dairy in this range levelled out at $3.10-$3.60/kg. Charolais-cross and Belgium Blue-cross, 306-361kg, all sold well at $3.92-$4.05/kg.
A number of vendors had entries in both the beef-Friesian heifer and steer pens. Prices eased for the lighter types of both sexes as 150-250kg mostly traded in at $2.75-$3.50/kg, which was a common range for 250-350kg also. The $/kg were very similar across the steer and heifer pens due to a softening for steers.
The Friesian bull section was small but again selective bidding meant 165-168kg lines made just $2.79-$2.80/kg, but a line of 20 at 218kg reached $3.12/kg.
