Heat pushes numbers up and prices down
Sheep and lamb prices felt the pressure of increased supply this week, with all categories closing in the red. Extreme heat across the country pushed yarding numbers higher, but historically we still aren’t seeing the throughput of recent years as yet. Processor demand wasn’t exempt from the price drop, however the mutton market showed more […]
China springs new year trade barrier
We are less than two weeks into 2026, but already the beef industry has faced a multitude of events which will continue to impact markets throughout the year and beyond. Domestically, the impact of horrifying stock and property losses from fire in the south and flood in the north are yet to be fully understood, […]
Record annual average prices for lamb
The final week of saleyard trading for 2025 saw lamb prices strengthen across the board as a result of the lowest yardings since October. The mutton market held fairly firm as sheep numbers also declined, with all price indicators closing significantly higher year-on-year and most national lamb categories achieving record annual average prices. Lamb yardings […]
Global protein demand underpins Australia’s rising cattle market
Australian cattle prices have made significant year on year gains in 2025 despite ample supply, as global protein demand, led by the US, created a demand led market. This meant historically strong pricing regardless of extreme variability in seasonal conditions across the country. It bodes well for 2026, as we head back into the northern […]
Most markets resilient against high supply
With only one more trading week left before the major holiday break of the year, and processors likely already filling up or slowing down, producers were still keen to offload this week and national cattle yardings hit their fourth-highest numbers for 2025. This put downward pressure on all categories as ample supply starts to test […]
Production down, but values still to rise
The latest ABARES outlook for livestock products has sheepmeat production dropping for the 2025–26 financial year, pushing prices higher and potentially boosting global demand even further. Changing seasonal conditions are expected to have meant lower lambing numbers leading into the year, but also more ewe retention later in the season, with flock numbers set to […]
Mutton market maintains momentum
Total sheep and lamb saleyard throughput fell this week, and so did most price indicators, as plenty of supply, proximity to holiday processor shutdowns, and the arrival of summer put pressure on the market. Mutton was the odd one out, with about 15,000 fewer sheep through the indicator giving it a bump upwards, and there […]
Capacity growth signals confidence in lotfeeding
A historically high cattle market has pushed cattle-on-feed numbers lower for the September quarter. Confidence in the sector has far from waned, however, with capacity, turn-off and grainfed exports all rising over the three month period. While utilisation also dipped from its record level set in the previous quarter, it remained on par with year […]
Restockers show support in the north
National cattle yardings jumped 13% week-on-week, unsurprisingly putting downward pressure on prices, but the market still showed a level of resilience considering the increase in throughput. Most categories dipped only between 3¢/kg and 9¢/kg, with restocker steers bucking the trend and closing the week stronger. The latest official Australian Bureau of Statistics slaughter figures released […]
SPIS shows less lambs left over
New data released in the past week from the Australian Bureau of Statistics and Meat and Livestock Australia/Australian Wool Innovation offers insight into how lamb throughput is tracking and what we might still have to come. All staying equal with demand, the supply equations the data suggests will be what dictates market movements most as […]
Lamb producers leap at lofty market
The sheep and lamb market continues to resist spring supply pressure, with all categories remaining historically high. Combined yardings hit their highest level since June this week as both restocker and trade lamb numbers rose significantly, offsetting a dip in sheep throughput. As producers look to capitalise on strong returns and get lambs off before […]
Hefty demand for heavy steers
Heavy steer demand has been on the rise this month, with the national price indicator climbing 9% in the past three weeks. Strong export demand is a major driver of this, as is improved confidence in domestic seasonal conditions. While slaughter remains historically high, the availability of heavy cattle has been impacted by southern seasonal […]