This good, steady rain of the past week will do wonders for crops and with the warmer spring weather, will be a boost to pastures as well.

The rain pattern was over much of the Darling Downs, and west and central areas.

Dalby received around 15-20mm; Quilpie 35mm; Longreach 55-60mm, Blackall 40-60mm, Barcaldine 50-60mm, Charleville 80-85mm and Goondiwindi 40-60mm.

This is keeping store markets buzzing, and reports from store sales show lifts of 10-20c/kg live.

Not only have we had the benefit of early spring rains, but the Australian dollar has also continued its downward trend to the greenback and was hovering around US80c midweek.

This has confounded many of the pundits.

At a Christmas bash late last year, a very senior banker told a processing mate and myself that the dollar would hit 95c by mid-2008 (correct) and then climb to parity with the US dollar.

Luckily, he was wrong and now exporters are hailing the lower currency.

This is reflected in another 10c/kg rise in over-the-hook prices for prime cattle, with best grass bullocks quoted at 345c/kg and heavy cows 320c/kg.

Grainfed are steady, at 380c/kg and EU steers at 400c/kg.

* Extract from markets information in Queensland Country Life, September 11.