This has certainly been the year of changing weather - early winter was excellent then it all turned into mud which made a lot of farmers very unhappy; followed by a lot of strong cold wind which stopped any grass growth over night.
Now the wind has eased off, the sun has arrived and with 26C temperatures the hill tops are starting to burn off very quickly.
The only thing that hasn't changed is the prices of livestock, which are very strong and a little stronger.
Maungakaramea Sale:
The recent sale at Maungakaramea went as well as usual with about 160 cattle and 200 sheep; 2-year steers sold for $1060 and $1050 for Ayrshires.
3-year bulls sold for $910 to $1120, 1-year Devon cross bulls made $545 to $650.
1-year Murray Grey cross steers made $900 and light Whiteface steers $500, down to $490 to $600 for red Whiteface. Whiteface cows RWB sold for $995. 2-year Whiteface heifers made $750 to $790 and Friesian cross 1-year heifers $610. Weaner heifers made $380.
Pigs: Heavy boners sold for $230 and porkers $140, slips made $110 and good weaners $82 down to $22.
Sheep: Good new season lambs sold to $74 down to $38, a good line of Arapawa lambs made $58. Mixed ewes sold from $40 to $44 and ewes and lambs sold for $45 all counted. Mixed rams made $50.
Dargaville Sale:
Dargaville had another very good entry of $700 cattle total on Thursday 24th which included 6 feeder calves which made $330, $390 and $400.
The market was very good as usual. Good 2-year steers sold for $1455 to $1530 then $1070 to $1210. 18-month rigs sold for $910.
15-month bulls sold for $955 and 18-month steers fetched $982. Top 15-month steers made $1100 to $1160, then $1015 to $1095 down to $900 to $995.
Weaner steers sold for $535 to $675. A large entry of weaner bulls sold for $600 to $685 for the tops, then $525 to $598, down to $460 to $480 and small bulls $350 to $442.
18-month heifers sold for $925, then 15-month heifers $810 to $890 and 1-year heifers $815 to $875. Weaner heifer calves sold to $650 then $538 to $578 down to $440 to $450.
Wellsford IHC Weaner Fair:
All the weaners sold well and IHC had a lot of support on the day; top pens of weaner steers sold for $735 to $785 (3.37c-4.67c) then lots of pens sold for $625 to $680 (4.51c-5.46c) down to $535 to $585 (4.27c-5.50c).
Light steers made $400 to $445 (3.03c-4.85c). Good Dairy cross weaner bulls sold for $670 to $740 (3.08c-3.39c).
Lots of bulls sold for $500 to $600 (4.08c-4.27c) and light bulls $435 to $490 (4.58c-5.37c).
Good heifers made $595 to $770 (3.41c-4.43c), then $500 to $545 (4.34c-5.02c) down to $435 to $450 (4.66c-4.26c).
Tuesday: There was an excellent line up of lambs on Tuesday with a lot from the Auckland regional council that were well presented. Firstly heavy prime ox made $1855 to $1998 (2.77c-2.80c) then $1264 to $1481 (2.73c-2.77c). Heavy prime heifers made $1446 to $1568 (2.51c-2.75c) then down to $1177 to $1330 (2.67c-2.69c). Heavy prime cows fetched $1507 (2.20c) and medium cows $804 to $923 (1.87c-2.05c).
Sheep: Prime lambs made $83 to $100. A big entry of lambs saw the best made $61 to $71, then $50 to $59 and $40 to $50, down to $31 to $38. Mixed ewes fetched $72 to $80 down to $30 to $69.
Kauri Sale: Kauri had a medium entry of 100 mixed cattle on Tuesday with some more of the early weaner calves. The market remains strong. 18-month Charolais cross steers made $1105 then $905 to $940 and Brindle steers $850 to $855. 15-month Hereford cross steers made $740 $785 and Whiteface steers $670 to $770. 1-year Brindle steers fetched $400 to $460 and small Friesian cross $310. Good 2-year prime heifers made $820. Good Angus 15-month heifers made $910 and Charolais cross heifers $860 to $890.
Kaikohe Sale: With 650 cattle Kaikohe was much the same as previous sales. Prices are holding up even though the weather is starting to get hot and dry and grass growth has slowed right down. 2-year Hereford cross steers made $1460 (2.78c) then Charolais and Hereford steers made $1035 to $1120 (2.80c-2.90c). Good 1-year Hereford cross steers made $1120 (3.00c), then Shorthorn Hereford cross steers $780 to $870 (3.10c-3.25c). 1-year Friesian, Whiteface and Hereford cross bulls made $800 to $900 (2.80c-3.00c). Autumn born Friesian and Hereford bulls made $690 to $770 (3.20c). Weaner Friesian bulls made $480 to $500, then lots of Murray Grey, Angus cross, Devon cross and Hereford cross weaner bulls made $550 to $600 to $650. 2-year Angus heifers made $1280 (2.80c). Medium 1-year heifers made $635 to $750 (2.85c-2.95c). Lots of weaner heifers - Hereford, Murray Grey, Angus cross made $420 to $500 to $540. Heavy Friesian cows sold for $850 to $950 (1.90c-2.00c) and medium cows $600 to $800 (1.80c-1.85c).