DAIRY cow numbers dropped 10 per cent at Victorian saleyards last week.
Despite the drop in numbers, weaker demand caused prices to falled by as much as 15c/kg.
National Livestock Reporting Service said 2635 cows were yarded last week, 948 of which were dairy cows.
Cattle quality remained plain or "average to plain at best".
Cow quality at Camperdown "slipped", according to NLRS analyst Henry Holcombe, with a lot more plainer-conditioned cows yarded in the 341-head offering.
Medium and heavy weight dairy cows dropped 3c/kg in value, while one-score cows sold from 96c/kg to 107c/kg and two-scores sold from 107c/kg to 122c/kg.
Up to 316 cows were yarded in a firm market at Warrnambool.
One-score medium to heavy-weight cows sold from 101c/kg to 108c/kg, with two-scores making from 114c/kg to 123c/kg.
Quality was "poor to average" at Colac, where 205 cows were yarded.
A price drop of 5-10c/kg was recorded across the offering, with heavy Holsteins selling for 91-118c/kg.
Further north, cow prices eased about 5c/kg at Shepparton, with most commanding 100-124c/kg.
Fewer cows were yarded in the 270-head offering at Pakenham, and while quality was mixed demand picked up.
Strongest competition was for the leaner beef and dairy cows, where values remained firm to up to 6c/kg dearer.
It was a different story at Leongatha, where values dropped by as much as 16c/kg.
Large-framed lean cows sold from 97c/kg to 124c/kg, with the majority of sales between 69c and 115c/kg.
At Bairnsdale, a 4-8c/kg drop was recorded for the 213-cow offering.
Plain lines sold from 80c and 115c/kg.
Cow prices dropped 1-5c/kg across a yarding of 480 head at Mount Gambier in South Australia.
D2 to D4-score Holsteins commanded 102-116c/kg, with most selling for 215c/kg to 245c/kg carcass weight.
