A smaller yarding of cattle came forward this week. Competition was strong amongst the buyers and the cattle sold very well. Heavy steers were in short supply and sold to a top of $2.90 per kilo, holding firm. Medium to heavy steers sold to a top of $2.90 per kilo, also holding firm. A good quality run of vealers came through and the better calves sold to a top of $3.72 per kilo, 5 cents dearer than last week. A very small run of cows sold to a top of $2.22 per kilo.

Heavy Steers over 500kg sold to $2.90

Medium to Heavy Steers 450-500kg sold to $2.90

Steer Veal Heavy over 400kg sold to 3.67

Steer Veal medium 320-390kg sold to 3.74

Heifers Veal 420-490kg sold to $ 3.68

Heifer Veal 320-390kg sold to $3.72

Beef Cows-$2.22

STEERS

Hazeldenes - Newbridge $1,071.31

VEALERS

Broadacre Farms - Piavella $1,489.12

HEIFERS

P Moyle - Huntly $1,722.50

Hazeldenes - Newbridge $1,275.00

The Associated Stock and Station Agents of Bendigo would like to thank all clients and buyers for their continued support of the cattle market over the years.

Bendigo's first Monday market will be held next Monday, August 5 at 8.30am. Curfew for the cattle will be Sunday night at 9pm.

July 29.

Smaller yarding of lambs, but buyer interest from all processors was at weaker levels which led to a cheaper market. One major exporter didn't attend while another only watched the market, and bidding for any big heavy lambs was restricted to a couple of buyers. All the regular domestic buyers were present, but weren't chasing the numbers of previous weeks amid reports most processors and wholesalers have cut production. Price falls of $15 to $30 were common for slaughter lambs weighing above 20kg cwt, while lighterweights eased $5 to $10/head. The neat trade weight lambs in shorter-length skins held their value the best. Competition for heavy lambs over 30kg cwt was dull at $250 to $280/head, averaging an estimated 800c/kg cwt. The main run of heavy crossbreds, 26kg to 30kg cwt, made $228 to $266 to be $20/head shy of a week ago. The better presented 24kg to 26kg cwt lambs, sold from $203 to $249/head. A few pens of grainfed Merino lambs in the trade weight categories made from $202 to $226/head. Medium trade lambs, in a mixed run, sold from $168 to $206/head. Carcass prices did vary as the market tried to find a floor, and there was a spread of 750c to 950c/kg cwt across the trade and heavy lambs depending on breed and quality. The better types of trade lambs were returning averages of 850c to 910c/kg cwt. Smaller and lighter weight lambs mostly ranged from $112 to $155/head. Merinos accounted for a reasonable percentage of the lighter weight lambs. The sheep sale also showed a weaker trend of $5 to $20/head over the general run of mutton, although the feature lines of Merino wethers and ewes remained similar. Heavy crossbred ewes sold from $185 to $215/head, but in limited numbers at this price level. Heavier mutton mostly sold from $145 to $190, and plainer trade sheep with less cover sold from $105 to $140/head. The best mutton was still costing processors 580c to over 600c/kg cwt.

CROSSBRED LAMBS

R & N Broom (63) Bridgewater $280.00

TB & B Cail (46) Kamarooka $266.00

Bellinode (182) Rochester $266.00

John Parsons (127) Elmore $260.00

A Broad (66) Derby $250.00

P & B Rothacker (199) Bridgewater $249.00

O'Sullivan Trading (109) Elmore $241.00

Brandon Park P/L (36) Avenel $222.00

M & M Ryan (17) Kilmore $220.00

PT & KF Howard (63) Goornong $218.00

B & B Batters (22) St Arnaud $218.00

R & B Pollock (27) Bridgewater $215.00

Brown Bros (26) Shepparton $212.00

Fleischer Farms (63) Mathoura $212.00

O'Sullivan Trading (87) Elmore $210.00

B & E Kerlin (26) Corop $210.00

GJ Doherty P/L (57) Deniliquin $203.00

SUCKERS

RW & AL Baker (12) Dingee $214.00

WB Bennett (47) Moulamein $193.00

MERINO LAMBS

McCrae Oaks (77) Gre Gre Nth $226.00

K Dickinson (50) Stanhope $219.00

McCrae Oaks (55) Gre Gre Nth $206.00

O'Sullivan Trading (73) Elmore $179.00

G & L McGurk (24) Charlton $176.00

C & K Newnham (54) Tabilk $170.00

Hastings Ag (28) Traynors Lagoon $170.00

Halcome Past (35) Toobeath $160.00

MERINO WETHERS

Lorbru P/L (35) Yea $188.00

GJ & VJJ Baldwin (142) Gre Gre $183.00

CROSSBRED EWES

T & K Dobson (19) Echuca $210.00

SJ & MV Trewick (18) Elmore $205.00

P & N Mitchell (11) Marong $177.00

K & M Warren (54) Picola $171.00

MERINO EWES

Anderson Family (35) Barmah $190.00

A & R Hiscock (268) Ivanhoe $180.00

North Monea P/L (27) Longwood $177.00

PRS Farming P/L (18) Charlton $176.00

A Wright (36) Boort $175.00

BJ & BJ Batters (32) St Arnaud $175.00

Anderson Farming (131) Barham $162.00

For week ending August 10

McKean & McGregor 4 & 4

Ellis Nuttall 1 & 1

FP Nevins 2 & 2

Landmark 6 & 6

Elders 3 & 3

Rodwells 5 & 5

Sheep numbers from Victoria rose by just over 1000 head last week to see 3644 sheep and lambs offered and clearance rates in Victoria reach 83 per cent. Victoria continues to be a major force in the online market purchasing just under 11,000 (30pc) of sheep and lambs offered. First-cross ewes from Victoria were topped by a line of 12 to 13-month-old scanned in-lamb ewe hoggets from Munro selling for $270. SIL Merino offered from Victoria drew strong demand seeing an average price of $226 and were topped by a mob of 23 to 24-month-old hoggets from Almonds selling for $232. New season store lambs continue sell for well over the 1000c/kg cwt price. A line of 26kg April/May '19 second-cross Poll Dorset mixed sex lambs from Violet Town sold for $142. A line of 28kg Jan/Feb '19 drop second-cross Poll Dorset mixed sex lambs from Dingwall sold for $140. Woolgrower wethers were topped by a line of July/Aug '18 drop 40kg lambs from Longwood, selling for $133.

CATTLE

Cattle numbers from Victoria continued to dwindle online last week, seeing 157 head offered. Young weaner cattle dominated the listings last week as spikes in the cattle market have seen many producers offload stock. A limited offering of cows with calves at foot saw SA buyers source stock from NSW and Victoria. The top price lot was a line of Maree West and Ennerdale blood Hereford heifers with Angus calves at foot from Heywood which sold for $1900 to a buyer in SA. Hereford/Angus steers 370kg from Corryong sold for 326c/kg and 293kg Angus steers from Lurg sold for 379c/kg. Steers 280-330kg made from 272 to 379c/kg nationally, to average 329c/kg, up 6c/kg.