New Zealand-Cattle market prices.

NEW ZEALAND CATTLE MARKETS.

NORTHLAND

Store cattle prices eased by about 10c/kgLW at Wellsford store sale on Monday last week.

PGG Wrightson agent, Bernie McGahan, said patchy rain across Northland combined with easing prime cattle schedules was behind the dip in store prices.

Steers, 18-months, were selling up to $1.75/kgLW and heifers, the same age, were bringing $1.65-$1.68/kgLW.

Around 1500 weaners were yarded at Wellsford for a special sale last Wednesday. The yarding included 450 top Hereford-Friesian calves from Grant and Kate McCallum which sold up to $630/head.

McGahan said Wellsford has a two-day weaner fair on Monday and Tuesday this week, before the run of autumn fairs kick off further north from March 2.

"After good rains across most of the North Island, we’re confident there’s going to be a good bench of buyers coming north for the sales.

"Buyers can be assured of the quality of the cattle coming forward this year."

AUCKLAND

Prime steers sold well to $992 last week at Kumeu and a pen of Simmental weaner heifers made $495. The market was more difficult, held in very hot conditions. Hopefully recent gentle rain and cooler temps will see an improvement.

Prime steers realised $992, medium prime heifers $722, yearling whiteface heifers $488 and good weaner heifers, $495.

Cow and calf fetched $805 and crossbred bulls $500-$570.

Cattle sold well at Pukekohe last week considering schedule drops and dry weather. Medium steers made to $980 and heifers $800. There was less enthusiasm for plainer young stock and generally buyers were after the better-quality cattle and were prepared to pay for it.

Medium 2-year steers sold for $830-$980, lighter steers made $718-$745, light crossbred yearling steers $405-$470 and smaller crossbred weaner steers$170-$335.

Medium prime heifers fetched $670-$800, medium yearling heifers made $480-$615, weaner heifers $300-$320 and small heifers $202-$260.

Bulls realised $1030-$1115 and boner cows $220 to $785.

COUNTIES

The store cattle sale at Tuakau last Thursday attracted a yarding of only 400 head, but the better-quality steers were 5c/kgLW dearer than previous weeks, Elders agent, Craig Chamberlain, said.

Good steers in the 380-450kg range made $1.80-$1.85/kgLW, with 320-380kg types earning $1.78-$1.89/kgLW. Lesser sorts returned $1.50-$1.65/kgLW. Beef-bred weaner steers sold at $2.20-$2.60/kgLW, or $420-$460, and whiteface weaner steers made $380-$420.

Heifers 360-420kg, sold at $1.65-$1.75/kgLW, with 300-350kg heifers making $1.86-$1.72/kgLW. Weaner whiteface heifers earned $280-$350.

Chamberlain said last Wednesday’s prime sale drew one of the biggest yardings he had seen in a while, with 1084 cattle on offer. He attributed the size of the sale to a lack of killing space and drying conditions in the region.

"Prices for export-quality cattle were steady, but trade cattle were back slightly, mainly due to the schedule."

Heavy steers at 600kg and over returned $1.75-$1.87/kgLW and medium steers 550-600kg, earned $1.71-$1.81/kgLW. Trade steers 400-550kg, sold at $1.69-$1.76/kgLW.

Heavy heifers made $1.65-$1.75/kgLW and medium sorts $1.68-$1.72/kgLW.

The sale included another big offering of boners and prices softened as a result.

Beef cows sold from $1.00/kgLW to $1.28/kgLW and heavy boners made $1.15-$1.24/kgLW. Medium boners earned $0.95-$1.10/kgLW, with lighter cows making $0.75-$0.90/kgLW.

About 1500 prime lambs were yarded at the Monday sheep sale last week and the top lambs sold at $85-$104, while medium lambs made $78-$85.

Chamberlain said store lamb prices eased by around $10 due to the dry conditions. Good store lambs returned $50-$62, mediums made $40-$50 and lighter lambs $25-$40.

The best of the ewes sold up to $60, with mediums making $45-$50 and lighter ewes $25-$30.

BAY OF PLENTY

Considering there were 930 cattle yarded at Rangiuru and that no real rain had fallen by sale day, last week’s market was "pretty good", PGG Wrightson agent, Rod Kamphorst, said, although young heifers may have been a little easier.

Many lines of older steers were in top condition, some quite heavy lots selling to $1.80/kgLW. One 712kg lot made $1285, $1,80/kgLW and another 626kg pen fetched $1105, $1.77/kgLW. Steers 500-578kg, went at $830-$1045, $1.74-$1.81/kgLW.

Beef-bred and whitehead steers were the most popular, but Friesian steers sold at $1.42-$1.72/kgLW although a 653kg line did make $1120, the rest selling at $690-$800.

Eighteen-month steers, most in the lower weight ranges, eased a shade, the top line making $660, $1.74/kgLW for 380kg. Steers 314-346kg, returned $530-$630, $1.64-$1.88/kgLW.

Eighteen-month heifers also eased, most of a short entry selling at $485-$580, $1.48-$1.63/kgLW with one 300kg pen of whiteface heifers fetching $530 or $1.76/kgLW.

Good 30-month heifers made $745-$800, $1.70-$1.71/kgLW, with lighter sorts selling at $542-$545, $1.52-$1.54/kgLW.

Around 25% of the total entry was weaners. Steers, bulls and heifers were a little cheaper while selling freely.

Steers weighing better than 200kg made $495-$512, $2.34-$2.41/kgLW. $2.14-$2.65/kgLW bought most other weights at $280-$355, but steers less than 100kg realised $290-$305, $2.96-$3.28/kgLW.

The better weaner heifers were bought for $310-$360, $1.90-$2.37/kgLW and 98kg whiteface heifers made $280, $2.86/kgLW.

A handful of weaner bulls came in, all making $290-$265 or $2.65-$3.41/kgLW.

Heavy boner cows 480-580kg, fetched $470-$670, $0.96-$1.25/kgLW. The next range at 400kg-plus made $390-$500, $0.93-$1.21/kgLW and less than 400kg struggled to make $1.00/kgLW to sell at $290-$428.

The sheep market was steady, with prime lambs up to $96 and averaging $66, while fresh young trade ewes went to $63, averaging$45 for the older types.

WAIKATO

Cattle values reflected the conditions prevailing up to sale time at last Wednesday’s Frankton store sale.

Ian Thompson, of Allied Farmers, said there was no surplus grass across the region and shortage of killing space also had an effect with 18-month and older steers easing, although the younger cattle values were steady.

$1065 was paid for 621kg whiteface 3-year steers, $1.71/kgLW and 590kg Angus went at $1030, $1.75/kgLW. $930-$955 bought 546-557kg lots, $1.70-$1.71/kgLW and 568kg Friesians brought $940, $1.65/kgLW.

Most 18-month steers weighed less than 400kg, but a pen of 475kg whitefaces fetched $820, $1.84/kgLW.

Better-quality steers over 350kg tended to sell from $1.73-$1.88/kgLW, $$600-$682, while lines not quite so good made $1.65-$1.57/kgLW.

Overall, 18-month heifers produced reasonable rates per kilogram, a high percentage of the 150 head offered making $1.62-$1.77/kgLW. The several lines weighing over 400kg made $705-$718, $1.73-$1.77/kgLW and pens just over 300kg returned $565-$600, $1.65-$1.72/kgLW.

Weaner bulls were steady. $430 was offered for 173kg Devons, $2.49/kgLW and 118kg Hereford-cross sold at $325, $2.75/kgLW, Friesian bulls fetching $218-$302, $2.08-$2.24/kgLW.

Eighteen-month Simmental bulls topped at $625-$700, $1.83-$1.85/kgLW and 306kg Friesian bulls went at $495, $1.62/kgLW. Older Friesian bulls made $770-$885, $1.66-$1.67/kgLW.

TARANAKI

At the Stratford store sale last Tuesday, Hereford-Friesian ox 585-635kg, made $1.79/kgLW, 30-month Simmental-cross steers 550kg, $1.76/kgLW, 30-month Hereford-cross steers 475kg, $1.73/kgLW and 30-month crossbred steers 460-482.5kg, $1.66-$1.70kg.

Steers, 2-year: Murray Grey 468.8-617.5kg, $1.74-$1.79/kgLW, Belgium Blue 460kg, $1.76/kgLW, Hereford-cross 445kg, $1.76/kgLW.

Heifers, prime: Hereford/Friesian 421.7-545kg, $1.45-$1.69/kgLW, crossbred 435kg, $1.62/kgLW, Hereford-cross 460-500kg, $1.62/kgLW.

Cows, store: Friesian 425-640kg, $0.68-$1.22/kgLW, crossbred 490kg, $1.04/kgLW, Jersey 350kg, $0.93/kgLW.

In-calf Friesian cows 410kg, ma