More cattle means price pressure at marts

Cattle numbers on offer at the marts have increased, recovering from the recent drop during the excellent weather, with yesterday’s sales larger than average for late June.

The trade is not as uniform as the bigger entry, with variations ranging from a steady trade to weaker returns on prices, depending on location and demand, with the plain animals under the most pressure.

Farmer buyers have not returned to the ringsides in great numbers and the scent of marketing difficulties for the second half of the year is already beginning to occupy the minds of more than a few finishers. Yesterday, a number of factories advised producers that they were booked up for the week — normal for June — as a result of what appears to be a push by finishers to get cattle killed. The increase in supply is now fuelling downward pressure on prices, which could worsen unless there is orderly marketing of cattle.