NSW and Victorian cattle supply higher
AUSTRALIA - National saleyard throughout at MLA’s NLRS reported saleyards so far for 2006 is 3% higher than 2005 overall, with 2.55 million head penned over the year to date. This figure is larger than for any of the previous five years, with the exception of 2002 (also a severe drought year).On a statewide basis, NSW penned 8% more cattle and Victoria 12%. All other states had lower yardings, with Queensland down 3%, SA 7%, WA 10% and Tasmania 37%. The major supply peaks were during May, October and November. May is typically the northern supply peak with northern NSW and Queensland markets contributing the majority of cattle during this time period.
During spring, it was the southern markets (southern NSW, Victoria and SA) that contributed to the spike in throughput, with Victorian yardings tripling over the six-week period from the beginning of September until mid-October, before peaking in mid-November. This coincided with a period of declining supply in Queensland – as a result, northern operators purchased larger numbers from southern markets to fill slaughter space.
NSW had two supply peaks, at the end of May and again in mid–November, when seasonal conditions forced an onset of young cattle onto the market. Some of these cattle sold off during spring would normally be grown out or withheld until next autumn, which could signify a tightening of May cattle supply in 2007.
SA followed a similar pattern to Victoria, with the season dictating the market, particularly in the south-east. WA demand was far more consistent, with the peak supply period coming in October and the quietest period during April.
The most notable difference in year on year throughput was in the areas worst affected
by the drought. The border markets of Wodonga, Shepparton and Wagga had increases of 40%, 22% and 21%, respectively, with water and feed constraints forcing cattle onto the market. The Hunter Valley and Liverpool Plains regions of NSW were the other areas where a noticeable increase in turn-off was witnessed as a result of seasonal conditions. Scone penned 36% more, Singleton 7% and Gunnedah had a 19% year on year supply increase.
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