Late grass growth improves sales

Marts: A larger showing of cattle at the mart sales is not deterring an improved trade for beef and forward stores with further gains at yesterday’s sales particularly for quality.

Although grass remains scarce on most farms, there is some recovery of pasture on the way following the recent rain and the predictions are that finished cattle will be tight — and that usually means better returns — from late autumn to the end of the year.

With an increase of 100,000 head in the throughput at the factories year to date, compared to the same period last year — an increase of over 11% — it means a tighter flow for the balance of the year and the prospect of stronger prices for the later months of the year.