THE WA cattle industry has seen demand and prices unlike anything for at least 10 years during 2020.
There's no doubt that breeders across the State have been delighted by the returns, which some farmers said were the best they have seen, or double what they received 40 years ago.
While there were mixed results for breeders the bull sale average was up by $72 to $5668 though less bulls were sold reducing the clearance number.
The total gross for the bull sale season in WA was the fifth highest on record at $8,450,900, while the number of bulls offered was the 12th argest.
The total cattle market has seen fantastic results considering COVID-19 related travel and social restrictions which have plagued the nation since March.
Prices started out similar to 2019 at the saleyards but things quickly changed in February when they hit the 320 cents per kilogram mark for vealer steers.
They haven't looked back since.
Prices for vealer steers spiked in March at near 400c/kg at the Muchea Livestock Centre before dropping back slightly, but then continued an upward trend as Eastern States' restockers and processors looked west during the great rebuild that has been underway since the drought broke in New South Wales and Queensland earlier in the year.
Prices reached a high of 526c/kg on November 25 at the Boyanup weekly weaner sale for a pen of steers.
But that only lasted a week before being toppled by 584c/kg for a pen of steers at Boyanup again - setting a new WA record.
Nutrien Ag Solutions region livestock manager - WA Leon Giglia said 400c/kg sounded good in June but "since October it sounds cheap".
In terms of saleyard throughput a total of 260,658 head were sold across WA, which remained similar year-to-year, with a minor decrease of only 0.2pc identified, according to Meat and Livestock Australia's latest Saleyard Survey from July 2019 - June 2020.
Muchea had the highest number of consignments with a total yarding of 96,616 head, followed by Boyanup with 86,343 head - which was a 9.7pc decrease on last year.
Mt Barker yarded 75,943 cattle which was a 9pc increase on last year and seems to confirm industry talk of herd dispersal in the region due to the seasonal conditions.
The Western Young Cattle Indicator reached a new high in November at 833.75c/kg carcase weight, but has since dropped back to 815.50c/kg on December 3.
At 815.50c/kg it was up 283.94c/kg from 531.56c/kg the same time in 2019.
In comparison the Eastern Young Indicator was at 792.25c/kg on December 9.
Meat & Livestock Australia said while the international scene remained uncertain, due to COVID-19, high cattle prices were expected across summer as anticipated drought-breaking rainfall would allow the herd rebuild (in the Eastern States) to gain pace, "supported by sustained demand both domestically and abroad".
The continued good weather in the east has led to greater confidence in restocking with some areas of New South Wales and Victoria having to deal with more grass than what they have seen in years.
The positive aspects of the WA industry need to be balanced against what industry leaders are expecting as a shortage of local cattle until next spring.
Prices are expected to remain favourable for WA as a huge amount of light weight steers and heifers were sold off this year - earlier than usual.
Mr Giglia said restockers in the east had been a "key driver to WA's cattle market this year".
"It will present a shortage of cattle in WA in the short term," Mr Giglia said.
"We sold this spring some lighter cattle that would have been offered in 2021.
"Numbers will be reduced but there's still a genuine commitment by cattle producers to invest in their herds and because of that we are not going to see a significant decline in numbers in WA."
Mr Giglia said the market would remain similar until the flush of next spring.
"The market will be maintained with some fluctuations," he said.
The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) said between January to November, 80,500 cattle were sent to the Eastern States via the Ceduna checkpoint.
"This is the second highest on record to the 129,200 (full year) transported east in 2010 and a sizeable increase compared to the 6200 sent over in the entire of 2019," said DPIRD research officer Kate Pritchett.
"This has been driven by high prices paid by Eastern States restockers following years of drought."
The majority of these were weaners and light pastoral cattle - anything that restockers could put weight on.
Elders State Livestock and Wool manager Dean Hubbard said while a large number of cattle had been sent east this year it wasn't as concerning as sheep.
"The market in the east is not that far in front of ours," Mr Hubbard said.
"There's not the same margin in cattle as there is in sheep.
"The State's herd is relatively stable whereas the sheep flock is in decline."
With the rise in prices there has been some concern among feedlotters and processors struggling to make money with a reduced margin, but prices for hay and grain feed had declined to offset that slightly.
Numbers on feed in WA had remained stable at 37,938 head at the end of September, while the national figures were 1.01 million head, according to MLA.
Ms Pritchett said in the first nine months of 2020, WA cattle slaughter reached 330,000 head, up slightly on the same time period for 2019.
"Cow and heifer slaughter made up 64pc of the total, or 210,700 head, while bulls, bullocks and steers made up the remaining 36pc (119,300)," Ms Pritchett said.
"WA beef production totalled 85.5 million kilograms between January and September 2020, up slightly compared to the 84.8mkg at the same time in 2019 (1pc increase) and is the highest since 2008 for this time of year.
"Veal production has also been very high so far this year reaching 67,000 kg, up 40pc on the 48,000 seen at this time last year."
She said between January and October, WA exported 259,200 live cattle (breeding and non-breeding), up 18pc on the same period in 2019.
"This reached a total value of $273.6 million, up 14pc compared to the $239.9m during this time period of 2019," she said.
"The largest market for WA cattle was Indonesia of which 74,500 cattle were destined worth $83.5 million.
"They were followed by Vietnam and Israel."
Mr Giglia also saw steady demand for live export to South East Asia and the Middle East and expected similar numbers to this year in 2021.
"I can't see that changing with the demand still there," Mr Giglia said.
DPIRD said WA boxed beef exports reached 42.1 million kg (ceq) to November 2020.
"Whilst this is down 7pc year on year it is still the 2nd highest volume exported on record for the January-October period," Ms Pritchett said.
"In value terms WA beef exports reached $211.6m and the second highest on record.
"The largest market for WA beef was China during the first 10 months of 2020.
"China accounted for 25pc of both the volume and value of WA beef exports, 10.3 million kg (ceq) and $53.9m respectively.
"In volume terms the second largest market was Indonesia accounting for 18pc of beef exports followed by the USA with 16pc.
"In value terms though, the USA was the second largest market with 16pc of the value and Japan was 3rd with 11pc."
