There was a reduced yarding of 307 head at Mortlake this week.

Quality was plain and all the regular processors attended, but not all operated fully in a firm to better market, with cows lifting up to 19c/kg. Restockers were very active in the yearling cattle and on the lighter better bred beef cows which hasn't been seen for a long time. The few yearlings to the trade sold from 265c to 292c/kg.

Restockers and feeders dominated the market paying up to 278c/kg. Grown steers and bullocks reached 317c, with the heifer portion reaching 275c/kg.

Heavy 3 and 4 score beef bred cows increased 9c to 19c, making from 228c to 262c/kg. Light cows sold from 180c to 219c/kg. Heavy Bulls with shape sold up to 231c, lifting 5c/kg.

BULLOCKS

1 MG 524kg @ 288c/kg, $1509ph K & J Ferrari

1 Hfd X 718kg @ 270c/kg, $1939ph IH & HM Titmus

1 Hfd X 454kg @ 265c/kg, $1203ph K Justin

VEALERS

1 MG 310kg @ 275c/kg, $853ph IH & HM Titmus

1 Ang 282kg @ 210c/kg, $592ph C Goldsworthy

2 Hfd X 364kg @ 192c/kg, $699ph GR & SF Rethus

TRADE HEIFERS

1 Ang 480kg @ 275c/kg, $1320ph Hopkins River

6 Ang 447kg @ 275c/kg, $1228ph K & J Ferrari

COWS

1 Hfd X 614kg @ 262c/kg, $1609ph IH & HM Titmus

1 Ang X 782kg @ 259c/kg, $2025ph IH & HM Titmus

1 Ang X 620kg @ 242c/kg, $1500ph Hopkins River

BULLS

1 Ang 808kg @ 231c/kg, $1866ph K & J Ferrari

COWS

1 Ang 548kg @ 238c/kg, $1304ph DG & HJ Kosch

1 Ang 474kg @ 233c/kg, $1104ph DG & HJ Kosch

3 Ang 505kg @ 218c/kg, $1101ph DG & HJ Kosch

BULLS

1 Ang 802kg @ 214c/kg, $1716ph DG & HJ Kosch

COWS

Ang 583kg @ 255c/kg, $1485ph PJ Cattle Co

VEALERS

7 Ang 326kg @ 275c/kg, $898ph S & J Smart

HEIFERS

8 Ang X 473kg @ 255c/kg, $1206ph R Ludeman

1 Ang 564kg @ 255c/kg, $1438ph S & J Smart

COWS

1 Ang X 802kg @ 256c/kg, $2053ph S & J Smart

BULLS

2 Frs 784kg @ 209c/kg, $1638ph DJ Coolahan

BULLOCKS

1 Ang 516kg @ 317c/kg, $1636ph CJ & WM Chesshire

3 Bri Whi 615kg @ 305c/kg, $1876ph C Pomeroy

1 Ang 560kg @ 293c/kg, $1641ph Box Hill Park

3 Ang X 483kg @ 292c/kg, $1411ph Hillview

HEIFERS

1 Red Ang 328kg @ 245c/kg, $804ph CJ & WM Chesshire

COWS

5 Ang 733kg @ 259c/kg, $1898ph Kent Family Trust

4 Ang 668kg @ 257c/kg, $1715ph Lnkes

VEALERS

Ang Strs 340kg @ 280c/kg, $952ph Dorrock Partners

Ang Hfrs 325kg @ 278c/kg, $903ph Dorrock Partners

Hfd Strs 290kg @ 265c/kg, $769ph Berry World

Hfd Hfrs 286kg @ 265c/kg, $758ph Berry World

Ang Hfrs 279kg @ 250c/kg, $698ph Dorrock Partners

Ang 310kg @ 240c/kg, $744ph DJ & MA Trigg

HEIFERS

Frs 650kg @ 220c/kg, $1430ph Whiskey Creek Pastoral

Frs 406kg @ 220c/kg, $893ph Whiskey Creek Pastoral

Frs X 380kg @ 165c/kg, $627ph Dorrock Partners

COWS

Hfd 564kg @ 245c/kg, $1382ph DJ & MA Trigg

Frs 685kg @218c/kg, $1493ph Margyle Enterprises

Ang 485kg @ 207c/kg, $1004ph DJ & MA Trigg

Frs 525kg @ 190c/kg, $998ph Margyle Enterprises

Jsy 416kg @ 172c/kg, $716ph Margyle Enterprises

BULLS

MG 710kg @ 235c/kg, $1669ph P Fullerton

Monday, July 8: Prime Market, 9am

Monday, July 15: Prime Market, 9am

Thursday, July 18: Store Sale, 10am

Monday, July 22: Prime Market, 9am

Monday, July 29: Prime Market, 9am

For week ending June 28.

The final sales of the 2018-19 Wool Selling Season continued the downward trend that began at the beginning of June. The EMI lost a further 51 cents to 1,715 c/kg clean. The national offering of 29,167 bales and the looming 3-week sale recess were not enough to ignite demand and reverse the recent trend of low buyer confidence. The EMI has finished the season 341 cents lower than at the end of 2017-18 (down 16.6%) with the national offering 11.9 per cent lower than last season.

The impact of the drought on this seasons offering saw less than 50 per cent of Merino fleece lots carrying 1 per cent VM, a 14 per cent reduction in lots with style 4 or better and a 6.8 per cent reduction on lots with 40 N/ktex. The first sale of the 2019/20 season will see all three centres selling with 34,504 bales currently rostered for sale.

Another week of falling prices in Sydney saw reductions of between 80 and 101 cents across the Merino Micron Price Guides (MPGs). Good, average and inferior style lots again dominated the selection with discounts compounding for lots with low staple strength ( 30 N/ktex).

Merino skirtings eased by up to 70 cents for the week with oddment lots also losing ground. The Northern Regional Indicator closed at 1731 c/kg clean down 58 cents. The Northern Merino Carding Indicator fell 24 cents to 931 c/kg clean. The Sydney pass-in rate was 17.0 per cent.

High pass in rates on both Melbourne sale days, 19.5 per cent and 15.2 per cent on Wednesday and Thursday respectively, signified grower reluctance to sell in the continually falling market. Drought affected wools continued to dominate the selection and these lots comprised the bulk of those passed in. While buyers did actively seek out and compete for lots with favourable additional measurements and best style, the limited supply of these wools could not alleviate falls across all MPGs. Merino skirtings and oddments also trended downward, particularly those with higher VM levels. The Southern Market Indicator dropped 46 cents to 1705 c/kg clean and the Southern Merino Carding Indicator fell 32 cents to 921 c/kg clean. The Melbourne pass-in rate was 16.6 per cent.

After a one-week recess, significant price reductions between 118 and 128 cents occurred across all MPGs in Fremantle. High pass-in rates together with a proportion of lots withdrawn prior to sale, resulted in nearly 46 per cent of the Merino fleece lots offered failing to sell on Thursday. High VM Merino skirting lots fell in value with all categories of oddments easing. The Western Regional Indicator lost 105 cents to 1832 c/kg clean. The Western Merino Carding Indicator managed to hold its ground losing just 9 cents to 1006 c/kg clean. The Fremantle pass-in rate was 32 per cent.