New Zealand-Cattle Markets week ending 30 January 2009.

NORTHLAND

A combined Wellsford sale last Tuesday, because of Auckland Anniversary Day on Monday, saw lamb prices the feature after a 15c jump in the schedule, PGG Wrightson agent, Grant Pallister, said.

The best of the prime lambs made $85-$92, medium $79-$82 and small $74-$77.

Heavy ewes fetched $58-$59, medium $52-$54 and light $33-$41.

Store lambs topped at $59-$66, medium $53-$58 and small $37-$49.

In the store cattle section, heavy 20-month steers sold for $1.78-$1.85/kgLW, with medium making $1.75-$1.86/kgLW.

Heavy 20-month heifers made $1.76-$1.81/kgLW, lighter $1.78-$182/kgLW and small $1.94-$1.99/kgLW.

Dairy-beef weaner steers made $2.41-$2.64/kgLW, with smaller at $2.51-$2.87/kgLW, heavy weaner heifers $1.85-$2.40/kgLW and lighter $2.51-$2.60/kgLW.

Prime cattle: Heavy steers realised $1-78-$1.86/kgLW, medium $1.82-$1.84/kgLW and light $1.78-$1.80/kgLW.

Heavy heifers made $1.73-$1.76/kgLW and plain $1.62-$1.65/kgLW.

Heavy cows fetched $1.35-$152/kgLW, medium $1.20-$1.25/kgLW and light $0.99-$1.07/kgLW.

Heavy bulls realised $1.87-$1.99/kgLW and medium $1.70-$1.78/kgLW.

Quality was mixed at the Kaikohe cattle sale last Wednesday, when about 640 cattle were penned, PGG Wrightson agent, Vaughan Vujcich, said.

The best of the 18-month steers made $1.90-$1.93/kgLW with weaner steers $2.20-$2.24/kgLW.

The best of the 18-month bulls made $1.96/kgLW, with others $1.73-$1.80/kgLW. Weaner bulls made $300-$350 with whiteheads fetching $350.

The few 18-month heifers offered sold from $1.80 to $1.85/kgLW, with weaner heifers making $270-$290. Cows made $1.15-$1.18/kgLW.

There was no Auckland market last week.

BAY OF PLENTY

It was not a large yarding of cattle at Rangiuru last Tuesday following the holiday weekend.

Just over 500 head went under the hammer, with a smaller-than-usual bench still paying good money for yearling heifers and older steers with condition, while yearling steers and bulls were a shade cheaper.

Boner cows comprised 20% of the entry and the better-yielding lines sold well following schedule increases.

Prime sheep also went well for the same reason.

Heavy ox at 708kg fetched $1330, $1.87/kgLW and 480-580kg steers realised $920-$1035, $1.80-$1.87/kgLW. A few lighter steers made $695 or $1.59/kgLW.

Yearling steers close to 400kg, made to $700, $1.78/kgLW, with beef-bred steers around 300-330kg making $580-$630,$1.85-$1.91/kgLW, the under 300kg lines fetching $370-$395, $1.31-$1.44/kgLW.

$335-$432 bought all the weaner steers, $1.99-$2.99/kgLW.

Heavy prime bulls made $1380-$1540, $1.76-$2.01/kgLW and 580-650kg bulls traded at $1165-$1235, $1.92-$1.99/kgLW.

The better yearling bulls made $568-$652, $1.66-$1.81/kgLW, while $340-$420 took bulls weighing less than 300kg, $1.66-$1.74/kgLW.

More than 100 weaner bulls attracted quite good money, with the entire offering selling from $300-$430, most lots making better then $2.00/kgLW and some light lots $3.30-$3.40/kgLW.

The small yarding of yearling heifers realised $545-$625 for lines over 300kg, or $1.64-$1.73/kgLW and values for weaner heifers were consistent at $310-$345, useful lines making $2.30-$2.89/kgLW and others $1.90/kgLW.

Good 2-year heifers returned $830-$895, $1.77-$1.80/kgLW and RWB cows fetched $550-$695.

$940 was paid for 665kg boner cows, $1.41/kgLW and boners more than 580kg fetched $715-$1035, $1.21-$1.61/kgLW.

Better-yielding cows 400kg and over went to $600 and up to $1.31/kgLW, but lesser quality sold at $320 and down to $0.74/kgLW.

Top price for prime lambs was $98 and they averaged a satisfactory $83.50, the prime ewes selling equally well at a top of $63.50 and an average of $54.20.

WAIKATO

"Holiday-itis" appeared to have affected last Tuesday’s prime sale at Frankton, with a short yarding of cattle, although sheep numbers were reasonable.

Gross returns were good for all classes, no doubt encouraged by the lift in schedules and the heavier ox generated more than $1.90/kgLW for most lots, only two or three selling at $1.84-$1.86/kgLW.

Ox over 600kg made $1149-$1316, $1.90-$1.96/kgLW and the under-600kg lines made $938-$1092, $1.84-$1.88/kgLW.

With one exception, prime heifers fetched $1.80-$1.87/kgLW. The top sale was $1014, $855-$991 buying several lots, $1.82-$1.86/kgLW.

Prime cows, the few that were there, sold well, one line making $869 for 610kg, $1.42/kgLW, another at $706 was $1.29/kgLW and a third at $631 made $1.30/kgLW.

A 880kg Shorthorn bull realised $1491, $1.69/kgLW. A 660kg Angus made $1310, $1.98/kgLW and a 625kg whiteface bull sold at $1212 or $1.94/kgLW.

Two Hereford bulls, 640 and 660kg respectively, went at $1320 and $1285, $1.98 and $2.00/kgLW, with a couple of Jersey bulls selling at $917 and $769, $1.74 and $1.62/kgLW.

There was a wide disparity for boner cows. Good lots went to $871, $1.39/kgLW, but at the other end it was $106. 518kg Friesians made $552, $1.06/kgLW and light Jersey cows $318-$320, $0.95-$1.08/kgLW.

Best prime lambs returned $111 and medium weights around $70-$78, the offering averaging $85.

Store lambs followed, with a top of $65-$75, the smaller lambs making $35-$38. Prime ewes topped at $60.50 and averaged $49.30.

Buyers at Frankton store sale favoured the better-conditioned whiteface 30-month steers, paying $1135-$1170 for a couple of lines over 600kg, $1.86/kgLW and those between 527 and 573kg sold from $1005-$1070, $1.86-$1.90/kgLW.

The same breed, but weighing432-482kg, made $710-$815, $1.64-$1.69/kgLW and two pens of 430-480kg Angus steers brought $775 and $845, both $1.76/kgLW.

The best 15-month steers traded at $715-$770, $1.85-$1.94/kgLW.

Some steers weighing less than 300kg sold at $508-$601, $1.76-$2.01/kgLW, with a good number of transactions between $522 and $595.

Best sale for 15-month bulls was the $875 offered for a 509kg lot, $1.71/kgLW and the $665-$685 paid for Friesians weighing 365 and 347kg recorded $1.87-$1.92/kgLW.

A 351kg Jersey bull sold at $717, $2.04/kgLW and the rest were $492-$555, $1.56-$1.86/kgLW.

The small entry of 15-month heifers all made $1.80-$1.86/kgLW, the highest offer being $680 for 377kg whiteface heifers, $1.80/kgLW and a 335kg pen of Herefords fetched $610, $1.82/kgLW. Heifers less than 300kg went at $548-$595.

TARANAKI

Boners and bulls sold well at Stratford last Tuesday, while prime cattle were on a par with the previous week.

Steers: Prime Angus-cross 575kg, $1.80/kgLW, 2-year Hereford cross 415kg, $1.59/kgLW, 2-year Angus-cross 445kg, $1.59/kgLW, 2-year Jersey-cross 340kg, $1.53/kgLW.

Heifers: Prime Hereford-cross 516.3kg, $1.86/kgLW, prime purebred Hereford 455kg, $1.81/kgLW, prime Angus/Friesian 630kg, $1.855/kgLW; 2-year Angus/Friesian 380kg, $1.20/kgLW, 2-year crossbred 430kg, $1.77/kgLW, 18-month Hereford-cross 297.5-307.5kg, $1.65-$1.76/kgLW.

Empty crossbred 470kg, $1.785/kgLW, empty Jersey 450kg, $1.64/kgLW.

Cows: Store Friesian 370-583.3kg, $1.14-$1.40/kgLW, store crossbred 437.5kg, $1.38kg, store Jersey 330-405kg, $1.10-$1.30/kgLW, store Shorthorn 555kg, $1.54/kgLW. Run with bull crossbred 420kg, $1.27/kgLW.

In-calf Friesian-cross 427.5kg, $1.26/kgLW, in-calf Friesian 467.5kg, $1.32/kgLW, in-calf Jersey 420kg, $1.14/kgLW. Angus/Friesian beef 540kg, $1.53/kgLW.

Bulls, 3-year: Belted Galloway 441.7kg, $1.70/kgLW, Murray Grey 735kg, $2.155/kgLW.

Bulls, 2-year: Charolais 725kg, $2.13/kgLW, Hereford 440-818.8kg, $1.71-$2.12/kgLW, Murray Grey 580kg, $2.03/kgLW, Angus 477.5-715kg, $1.86kg-$2.09/kgLW, Ayrshire 505-520kg, $1.80-$1.85/kgLW, Jersey 420-560kg, $1.70-$1.95/kgLW, purebred Angus 550kg, $2.00/kgLW, Shorthorn 490kg, $1.81/kgLW, Hereford-cross 425kg, $1.65/kgLW.

Bulls, 18-month: Belted Galloway 425kg, $1.50/kgLW, Angus 325kg, $480, Hereford/Friesian 355kg, $580, Jersey 330-340kg, $820.

Bulls, 15-month: Friesian 325kg, $470, Jersey 285-386.7kg, $500-$860, Hereford-cross 400-417.5kg, $640-$710, unsound Jersey 250kg, $250, purebred Simmental 495kg, $2.10/kgLW. One-year Jers