The cattle market in South Australia has been remarkably solid for the entire selling year. Huge fluctuations in prices are generally the norm in our industry, but 2011 has been a very smooth affair with prices varying only slightly on the normal seasonal supply and demand.

Pastoral cattle breeders were fortunate to experience another good season and were able to reap the rewards after such a prolonged period of drought conditions. During the winter and spring the procession of B-double loads of fat bullocks heading down to slaughter at Murray Bridge or Naracoorte was a common sight.

Sellers at Dublin had their usual winter windfall with their much sought-after supplementary-fed yearlings selling to very strong processor competition. Regular returns for steers above $2.20 a kilogram liveweight during this period underlined the demand for quality cattle when the South East is too wet and cold to produce any serious numbers of prime cattle.

The South East comes into its own in late spring and early summer, and weaner sales extending from Keith to Mount Gambier and all points in-between seem to break records every year.

The quality of the breeding in these cattle is recognised Australia-wide and it is almost inconceivable to imagine that the solidity of these sales will alter anywhere, in the near future.

Lamb prices have had a bit of a roller-coaster ride. In early January when a pen of crossbred lambs at Dublin was sold for $170, there were gasps of astonishment. A couple of weeks later when the first pen of $200 lambs were sold, some people were speechless. But by the end of February, tales of lambs returning $210 were distinctly ho-hum!

Of course; as with most good things; it could not last. Prices for crossbred lambs fell consistently during autumn and winter, defying the historical trend.

Naturally, there were those astute producers who forward-contracted their lambs at prices above $6 a kilogram carcaseweight.

Reports of lambs on-hooks returning $230 in August served only to magnify the pain of those of us who were too bloody clever to accept the forward-contract.

Fortunately, new-season lamb prices consistently outstripped last year's, and despite the absence of any forward-contracting, the future looks secure.

* More in SJ's Dec 29 edition