Pre Xmas Rush

The Detail

Weekly saleyard throughput volumes lifted for most stock types across the east coast as producers turnoff before the Xmas sale yard closures.

East coast cattle yardings jumped 73%, with big lifts noted in Queensland and NSW as the easing of wet conditions in some regions allowed stock transport to get underway.

There were 48,783 head of cattle presented at east coast sale yards for the week ending 10th December, which is just 6% under the five-year average trend for this time in the season. This is the closest weekly cattle yardings have been to the average trend in a month and a half.

Cattle throughput in Queensland lifted by a whopping 138% on the week, albeit off of a very low base of 7,476 head the week prior. There were 17,792 head of cattle presented at Queensland sale yards last week, which is 20% above the five-year average pattern for this week in the year.

NSW posted similar impressive gains in cattle throughput numbers with weekly yarding levels rising by 96% to 19,500 head. This represents levels that are 10% under the seasonal trend for this week in December, according to the five-year average pattern.

Increased cattle yardings were noted in Victoria too, with a 17% rise on the previous week to 8,547 head. Victorian cattle throughput is the weakest of the three east coast mainland states with levels sitting 24% under the five-year average for this week in the year.

East coast lamb throughput volumes gained 19% for the week ending 10th December, taking lamb yarding numbers to 286,599 head. This is the first time in about six weeks that lamb yarding levels have been ahead of the five-year average weekly pattern with current volumes sitting around 7% above the seasonal trend.

Increased weekly lamb yardings were noted in both Victoria and NSW. The Victorian spring flush is coming to it’s seasonal peak with 156,123 head of lamb presented for the week ending 10th December. There was a 16% gain in weekly lamb throughput in Victoria, pushing the weekly yarding above the five-year seasonal pattern for the first time since early spring. Victorian lamb throughput is nearly 9% above the five-year average trend for this week in December.

Much of October and November saw lamb yardings in Victoria run below normal levels by around 20,000 head per week and anecdotal discussions with producers suggested that the colder/wetter than normal spring in the south saw slower lamb weight gains. Some farmers have taken the opportunity to turnoff lambs pre-Xmas but there’s a good chance we will see strong throughput volumes early into the new year too as more lambs hit target weights.

NSW saleyards saw there last Xmas flurry with lamb yardings increasing 43% on the week to get back over 100,000 head. There were a total of 105,080 lambs presented at NSW sale yards last week, this represents levels that are 8% above the average seasonal pattern for this week in the year.

East coast sheep throughput also managed a 20% rise on the previous week, taking saleyard numbers to 103,465 head. Despite the strong lift sheep throughput remains 11% under the average seasonal pattern for this time in the year. It’s NSW sheep yarding volumes that are mainly responsible for dragging the east coast levels below the seasonal average with the 44,505 head of sheep presented at sale yards last week about 26% under the NSW seasonal trend. Meanwhile, Victorian sheep yarding numbers, at 50,688 head last week, are running 5% ahead of the average weekly pattern for this time in the year.