Can extreme US lamb price flow here?
Trying to decipher US lamb prices is hard for someone with experience in market analysis. After trawling through United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) website with a charting function, and after converting the numbers we can see why their demand for our exports continued to grow. Looking at raw numbers, one would think that US […]
The WA wheatbelt no more
While the official crop report is a little way off, the Grain Industry Association of Western Australia (GIWA) has had a crack at estimating sowing areas in WA for the coming winter cropping season. Looking at the estimates, the WA wheatbelt might need to be renamed the Wheleyola belt. Wheat, barley, canola belt is a […]
Decade high slaughter doesn’t dampen market
The cattle market responded positively to lesser throughput and areas of rainfall this week, with prices lifting right across the board. Slaughter has remained historically high, above 160,000 head, for the past three weeks, further indicating good market sentiment as prices keep above year-ago levels. Cows and heifers had the most upward momentum across all […]
Erratic may market
Some more rain has fallen, but demand remains patchy. Light lambs to slaughter remain under pressure and heavy cull lambs and sheep remain a rare commodity. Post April is always a tricky time to gauge where the market sits particularly at the moment with differing seasonal conditions across the country’s key sheep production regions. Saleyard […]
Market eases on the back of tighter economic conditions
This week the Australian dollar (AUD) hit its highest rate against the US Dollar (USD) since May 2022, at 0.725¢, on the back of the Reserve bank of Australia’s (RBA) decision to lift interest rates to 4.35% (a hawkish stance) while global central banks, mainly the US federal reserve and the European central bank are […]
Oil Trumps Wheat
Grain markets did an abrupt about face this week. After weeks of steadily rising, ag commodities led by wheat erased a month’s worth of gains. The catalyst appeared to be easing tensions in the Mid East – or at least the rhetoric dialed down a notch – and rains in the US Plains stabilising the […]
Sheep slaughter falling short of forecasts
We’ve been hearing about the short supply of sheep and lamb for some time, but with a third of the year now gone, we can get a gauge on how many have already gone through the production system, and what that might mean for the rest of 2026. So far this year, national sheep and […]
Hay and feed grain rally starting in the north
Last year it felt like we were writing about tariff impacts every week, this year it’s the Middle East conflict and subsequent rising cost of energy. With hay and silage being back of mind while winter crops and pastures are planted, it’s time we had another look at feed and fodder markets. Since the hay […]
Merino RWS Premiums
In March Mecardo looked at how RWS premiums for crossbred wool had revived from their low levels of 2023-24. Given the magnitude of the rise in merino prices this season it is timely to check how RWS premiums are tracking for merino wool. Last July, Mecardo looked at RWS premiums for merino and crossbred wool […]
Have we got 2023 on our mind?
The female and young cattle selloff continues as meaningful rainfall eluded much of New South Wales. Slaughter rates have continued to climb, and prices have fallen abruptly but are finding some support. Over the last six months we have mentioned a number of times about the large herd bringing with it large price risk. We […]
Back to the paddock demand lifts light lambs
There was a clear divide between buying types this week, as most indicators remained fully firm to higher with the exception of heavy lambs and mutton, as the short week in some states saw sheep supply lighten off and processors seemingly take their foot ever so slightly off the gas. Restockers, however, haven’t gone into […]
Prices flat as offering increases
The Eastern Market Indicator (EMI) fell relatively flat this week, up only 2¢ to 1897¢ after price rises for Crossbred wool and Sydney fine merino offset losses across the rest of the table. The bale offering increased by 4,078 to 37,744 and so did pass in rates, increasing from 2.8% to 6.9%. This week 35,139 […]