YEARLING cattle are starting to appear in the prime market in the north of the state, mostly finished as people hold onto their cattle for a little longer.
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In Tamworth on Monday the yarding was 300 head smaller than the previous week with the market generally firm across the board.
Agent Joel Fleming, Nutrien Harcourts Tamworth, said the yarding was heavier than usual with a good amount of feeder cattle but not many restocker types.
"On the whole the kill job, both domestic and export was relatively strong," he said.
However, he noted that the market was offering yearlings a lot later than usual.
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"The year is a lot slower simply because we've had such a wet winter and the feed didn't get the opportunity to harden up like it would during the winter being a forage crop so we are in general six to eight weeks behind where we normally would be as far as weight goes in the yearlings.
"Therefore with the money they're worth, people are willing to hold on to them for an extra six to eight weeks to get the weight on them before they send them to market."
Mr Fleming said the majority of the yearlings coming through were finished, as well as some feeders, with a lot of demand coming from the south.
"With the water situation down there and it being a bit slower moving than what it is up here, there's a lot of demand through southern NSW and into Victoria for good finished cattle," he said.
At Carcoar on Tuesday numbers lifted slightly and more yearling heifers were yarded with interest from feeders.
Yearling steers to processors mostly made 490 cents a kilogram to 576c/kg. Feeder steers brought 500-580c/kg while yearling heifers to the trade made 500-550c/kg.
Meanwhile in the south, the movement of cattle has slowed and Corcoran Parker agent Bo Helwig said they're not yet seeing big numbers of yearlings in the prime market.
Mr Helwig said a few days of sunny weather in the area meant the numbers nearly doubled at Wodonga on Tuesday with the trade cattle job dearer with more competition.
"We had some pretty good domestic weight cattle and they all sold pretty well."
Alexandra Bernard
Journalist based in Wagga Wagga covering all things agriculture in southern NSW.
Journalist based in Wagga Wagga covering all things agriculture in southern NSW.
