Beef steers, 500kg plus, sold up to $2.90/kg and 555kg Friesian earned $2.55/kg. Good Hereford-Friesian, 475kg, traded at $3.04/kg, with 420-435kg making $3.13-$3.24/kg. In the yearling section, most Hereford-Friesian lots in the 330-370kg range sold at $2.95-$3.10/kg, and beef yearlings fetched $2.75-$2.90/kg.
Good Hereford-Friesian heifers, 450kg, made $2.82/kg, with 422-440kg earning $2.61-$2.80/kg. Most yearling heifers in the 300-377kg range traded at $2.60-$2.91/kg, and lighter Hereford-Friesian, 250kg, $2.88/kg.
About 310 cattle were presented at last Wednesday’s prime sale. The prime steer market was steady, with the heavier lots selling at $2.90-$3.00/kg, medium $2.80-$2.90/kg, and lighter $2.70-$2.80/kg. Heifer prices eased slightly. Heavy prime beef heifers traded at $2.78-$2.88/kg and medium $2.70-$2.78/kg. Lighter beef heifers earned $2.60-$2.70/kg, and dairy-types sold up to $2.44/kg, averaging $2.18/kg.
The best of the beef cows made $2.30/kg and lighter types sold down to $1.95/kg. Quality in the boner section was good. Heavy Friesian cows returned $1.92-$2.28/kg, medium $1.70-$1.92/kg, and light $1.45-$1.70/kg. A small entry of beef bulls sold up to $2.70/kg.
The sheep market remains strong, with the best of the new-season lambs making $150-$195 last Monday. Medium primes fetched $130-$150, and lighter $105-$130. Store lambs sold from $70 to $105, and mixed-sex hoggets $80 to $170. The prime ewe market was very firm. Heavy ewes traded at $140-$196, medium $110-$140 and light $58. About 1600 ewes and lambs were yarded.
