Numbers were reduced to just 1100 head at the Roma prime sale yesterday thanks to some welcome falls of rain around the Maranoa during the week, but the reduced yarding helped to strengthen prices, particularly for cows.
Cows comprised 90pc of the yarding and with limited numbers available, cow prices improved by around 7c/kg (live).
Cows over 500kg topped at 160c/kg and averaged 151c/kg (+5); cows in the 400-500kg range topped at 165c/kg and averaged 141c/kg (+12); and cows in the 300-400kg range topped at 140c/kg and averaged 115c/kg (-5).
The major vendor of the sale was S Kidman and Co, which offloaded a line of 227 Santa-cross cows from their Windorah property, Morney Plains.
The best of the cows topped at $1014/head, with the entire line selling for an average of 150c/kg at 542kg to return an average of $786/head.
Meanwhile, heifers over 450kg topped at 170c/kg and averaged 153c/kg (-2); and heifers in the 350-450kg range reached 160c/kg and averaged 150c/kg (-6).
The Schottelius family, of Quilpie, sold 480kg Brahman-cross heifers for 149c/kg or $716/head.
Bulls continued to sell strongly, with those over 600kg selling to 187c/kg and averaging 167c/kg (+9).