Part of a run of 358 Angus backgrounder and feeder steers in store condition from Bollon, southern Queensland that sold on Friday from 567c/kg for a run of 84 averaging 280kg at 12-14 months, to 506c for a run of 47 heavier types averaging 385kg at 14-18 months.

OFFERING size and clearance rate both dropped sharply on AuctionsPlus this week.

Cattle numbers catalogued reached 11,538 head, down 31 percent on last week, while clearance dropped 21pc to only 51pc at the fall of the hammer on Friday.

Since then, clearance has improved by around 20pc, AuctionsPlus said, indicating that agents and vendors were increasingly willing to meet market conditions in post-sale negotiations.

There were contrasts in price trends between lighter and heavier young cattle, with lighter steers and heifers mostly stronger in c/kg terms, while heavier lines lost value.

Breeding cattle mostly showed some improvement.

Among steer lines, an offering of 1300 steers 280-330kg cleared 61pc, with prices lifting 20c/kg to average 519c/kg. Lighter descriptions 200-280kg saw a yarding of 774 head, clearing 56pc, with prices sharply down by 47c/kg to average 507c.

Among heavier lines, steers 330-400kg dropped 34c to average 496c, while export feeder weight steers +400kg followed the recent downwards trend, losing 23c/kg to average 495c, clearing only 44pc of the offering of 758 head.

In heifer categories, similar weight/price trends were evident. Small 3-5c gains were seen in heifers 200-280kg (averaging 445c, with the offering of 1150 clearing only 31pc), and 280-330kg descriptions averaging 464c, clearing only 37pc of the 1318 head offering.

Heifers 330-400kg lost 25c/kg to average 450c, with a somewhat better clearance of 57pc for the 1400 offered, while heavy heifers +400kg lost 38c to average 455c, clearing 47pc.

Among larger liners of young cattle offered this week, 378 Grey Brahman weaners 5-10 months from Cloncurry, Northwest Queensland saw the heifer portion averaging 196kg make 270c/kg while the steer portion averaging 200kg make 393c.

Further to the southeast, 209 Droughtmaster weaner heifers from Nebo, Central Queensland saw the lighter portion averaging 221kg make 340c/kg and the heavier end 259kg make 336c.

Further south, 358 Angus backgrounder and feeder steers in store condition from Bollon, southern Queensland sold from 567c/kg for a run of 84 averaging 280kg at 12-14 months, to 506c for a run of 47 heavier types averaging 385kg at 14-18 months.

Breeding females

The only substantial offering was for NSM cows and calves, where 964 pairs were offered, clearing 51pc. Prices lifted $66 to average $2659/pair. Best improved were NSM heifers and calves where 319 pairs were offered, but clearing only 31pc. Prices lifted $340 to average $2812/pair.

Smaller breeding female offerings included only 91 station-mated heifers, which lost $320 to average $1443, while only 5pc of the offering of 162 PTIC heifers sold, averaging $2140.

Source: AuctionsPlus