Holding pattern ahead of the long weekend.
With the impending long weekend in NSW, the market was in a bit of a holding pattern this week, as most of the major indicators tracked sideways. Across the board, the lambs on offer were lighter and “plainer” in quality than the previous few weeks and buyers were not as competitive with each other for […]
Sellers unwilling to part with wool at current market
This week prices fell in the Australian wool market and pass in rates remain high as volumes have been slowly creeping back up to 30,000 bales. Sellers remain patient and less willing to part with wool at current pricing and most Micron Price Guides (MPG’s) fell as a result. The Australian Dollar depreciated 1.9% to […]
Projecting the herd to decline
Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA) released their Australian Cattle Industry Projections last week, and like any forecasts, they can become out of date relatively quickly. The forecast is for gradual herd contractions and associated cattle supply tightening. This is provided seasons behave as expected, of course. Historically high and rising slaughter levels have had herd […]
Canola remains the shining light
Canola prices remain the shining light for croppers, with prices having moved back to peaks seen earlier in the year. As usual, local markets are being driven by international values, but the widening gap makes harvest selling decisions a little more difficult. Australia is on track to produce its third largest canola crop on record, […]
Fibre diameter in the Australian merino clip
The makeup of the Australian merino wool clip, as with other merino producing countries, has changed a lot since the 1990s. Basically the industry has stopped producing what was seen as broad merino wool 30 years ago, although there has been something of a renaissance in New Zealand. This article takes a brief look at […]
Spring slump but supply still not skyrocketing
Its already feeling like summer but there’s still plenty of spring market activity yet to come. Numbers are growing but probably below expectations given the lack of rainfall in cattle country and the price levels for stock currently. This week the market corrected but it appears there is some consistent demand for finished stock. Across […]
Small dip in price on higher offering
This week the Australian wool market saw an overall decline in prices as losses in medium merino and crossbred wool outpaced gains in fine merino and cardings. The Eastern Market Indicator (EMI) was down 12¢ in to 1845¢ in Australian dollar (AUD) terms and down by 13¢ to 1310¢ in United States Dollar (USD) terms. […]
Ewe records fall but so does NMI
Total sheep and lamb yardings fell slightly this week, but it didn’t help prices, with all major indicators ending lower. Restocker lambs and mutton are now the only two categories trending above year-ago levels, which is unsurprising, as that is likely where the most notable supply shortages are. Speaking of supply, with still a few […]
Wheat: Words speak louder than actions
The week started with a positive footing for wheat as geopolitical risks escalated across the Black Sea. However, hopes of a Grain Corridor Mk II, with Türkiye again attempting to broker a safe shipping arrangement, have faded quickly and the market has subsequently closed near one-month lows. Both Presidents Putin and Zelenskyy have indicated they […]
WA outpaces east coast young cattle gains
The cattle market has been generally trending lower over the past fortnight as spring supply ramps up. As we looked at in last week’s article, finished prices could be about to hit some resistance as the Eastern Young Cattle Indicator and the 90CL US imported beef price are now back at parody for the first […]
Hay Hay it’s harvest day (nearly)
Hay and silage season is upon us, and the market is in a vastly different state to this time last year. Here we take a look at fodder and feed grain markets and assess the value of perhaps locking in feed early. This time last year the hay market was coming off the most extraordinary […]
Australian and South African 19-micron fleece prices
It’s been a year since Mecardo had a look at South African and Australian 19-micron merino fleece prices. A lot has gone on in terms of price movement since then, so it seems timely to refresh this comparison. Mecardo looked at South African and Australian wool prices in some detail this time last year, citing […]