Newsletter for the Week Ending 2 July 2004
Cattle Prices Boom
Cattle prices continued to rise this week particularly for domestic trade cattle
and heavy steers.
The increased prices are due to a tightening in supply of cattle suitable for
slaughter and strong competition from lot feeders, restockers and processors.
Intense competition between these three groups has resulted in the trade steer
indicator rising almost 20 c/kg liveweight since the beginning of May. By last
Friday the trade steer indicator was at 189.3 c/kg which is the highest level
recorded this year.
Likewise, the Eastern Young Cattle Indicator was 355 c/kg (carcase weight) this
week which is the highest it has been this year and only seven percent below
the record level of 383.5 c/kg in 2001.
Limousin and Limousin cross cattle have been right at the top of these high
prices as you will see below.
Zinger at $7400!
A high content Limousin steer called Zinger returned his owner $7400 in the
rich Rockhampton Show led steer competition. Zinger exhibited by Neil Goetsch
of Kalbar Qld and weighing 672 kg took out the heavyweight class and the Grand
Champion prize of $5000. And Zinger is not finished yet. He was being shown
in the Farmfest Led Steer Competition at Toowoomba last week as his final outing.
Second in the heavyweight class and Reserve Champion Steer was a Limousin entry
from the Stephens family form Pittsworth (Qld) with another Limousin cross entry
from the Goetsch stable in third place. A Limousin X Simmental steer weighing
704 kg exhibited by the Dull family of Toowoomba took out fourth place to complete
a clean sweep in the heavy weight class.
Neil Goetsch scored another first place in the lightweight class with a purebred
Limousin tipping the scales at 447 kg.
In the middleweight class the Crawford family of Kingaroy took second place
with a Limousin cross.
Pittsworth State High School claimed the heavyweight class and overall Champion
in the schools section with a Limousin X Murray Grey entry weighing 638 kg.
To top off a very successful showing the Limousin breed took out first and third
in the group class with entries from the Goetsch and Stephens families.
Tanholm Success at Rocky
Kel and Inger Sorensen of Tanholm Limousins at Clifton (Qld) had a very successful
showing at the Rockhampton Show.
They took out Supreme Exhibit and Senior Champion Bull with Tanholm Xabac, Reserve
Senior Champion bull with Tanholm Xcel and Junior Champion bull with Tanholm
Xalisbury.
Brahmousin tops at Nambour
A Brahmousin bull exhibited by Des Olive and Maureen Abbotts Demaure Stud at
Wondai defeated all comers to be awarded the Supreme All Breeds Beef Annual
at the Sunshine Coast Show at Nambour (Qld).
Supreme European breeds female was the Limousin Grand Champion cow Stanley Park
Xyris exhibited by Myles and Kaye Burton of Stanley Park Limousins at Woodford.
Champion led steer and winner of the milk tooth class was a Limousin cross shown
by Wondai High School.
Dalby & Roma Tops
I missed reporting some top prices for Limousin cross cattle sold at Dalby (Qld)
and Roma (Qld) a couple of weeks ago.
Yearling steers sold on account the Marriage family made 195.6 c/kg at Dalby
and bull calves straight off cows sold for $506 at Roma.
Limousin Director and butcher Geoff Haack also reported that he paid 201 c/kg
liveweight for pure Limousin steers at Silverdale Qld which was "by far
the top price".
A Record at Packenham
A pure Limousin milk vealer steer sold for a record price of 235.2 c/kg at the
Packenham saleyards this week.
The steer weighing 345 kg was sold by Everill & Sealey on account of Noel
Pillar and was purchased by Sorrento butcher Fresh Cuts Meats.
The price is just under the Victorian record of 236.6 c/kg set at Bairnsdale
for Limousin X calves in June last year.
Wayne Churchill informs me the top price at Packenham last week was 224.5 c/kg
for a Limousin heifer.
Warragul Tops
Jenny Leslie from the Ellinbank Limousin Stud emailed in to say she sold a Limousin
X vealer 10 months of age and weighing 345 kg for 213.2 c/kg or $736 at Warragul
on 9th June to top the sale.
Jenny also mentioned that she has a nice young bull for sale. Ellinbank Triumph
is by Homestation Telemark out of Limousdale Quintila and is registered and
incredibly quiet according to Jenny. She is asking $2500 for the bull.
Outstanding Sale at Naracoorte
Len and Damien Gommers who run a significant commercial herd as well as the
Mandayen Limousin Stud at Murray Bridge SA had a great sale of 36 Limousin cross
yearlings at Naracoorte SA early this week.
The calves were the "tail enders" of last years drop which they weaned
and grain fed for 85 days. The 26 steers averaged 438 kg and sold for an average
of $974 and the 10 heifers averaging 387 kg sold for an average of $875.
Five pure Limousin steers weighing 440 kg made 215.5 c/kg or $948 and eight
Limousin X Angus steers weighing 447 kg made 218 c/kg or $974.
A pen of Limousin X Angus heifers weighing 395 kg made 219 c/kg or $865. The
highest priced animal was a Limousin X Angus heifer weighing 501 kg which made
207 c/kg or $1055. All up the 36 yearlings averaged $924.
I bet you wish you had another couple of hundred of them Damien!
Naracoorte Again
Ken Modra from Bordertown also reported an excellent sale at Naracoorte this
week. He sold two Limosuin heifers and a Limousin bull calf with an average
weight of 300 kg for 223.5 c/kg or $670 per head.
Taree This Time
Peter and Allyson Longworth of Cundletown (NSW) report the sale of a cull Limousin
cow at Taree (NSW) saleyards. She weighed 605 kg and sold for 154.6 c/kg or
$935. They also sold a yearling heifer weighing 400 kg for 189.6 c/kg or $758
to be right at the top of the Taree sale.
More Catalogues on the Web
The Toowoomba Ag Show Sale with 26 Limousin bulls and the Goldenwest Limousin
Bull Sale with 45 lots have gone up on the web this week.
Yours in Limousin
Alex McDonald