Week-on-week comparisons don’t follow the current turn-off story due to seasonal conditions. Starting at the top, Queensland cattle yardings increased by more than 10,000 head on the back of last week’s rain interruptions at Gracemere and Charters Towers. However, year-on-year the weekly yarding was 10% lower, sitting right on Meat & Livestock Australia’s rolling three-year average.
Moving to NSW, where parts of the State are still relatively dry, and yardings fell from last week’s sky-high figure of over 56,000 head, likely a record number. However, it was still more than 20,000 head above the MLA rolling average, 27% higher than the same week last year, and 93% above the five-year-average.
Cattle slaughter dipped last week to its lowest point since January, but remained above the last two years, up nearly 12% on the same week in 2025. Despite saleyard number discrepancies, the state slaughter breakdown remained fairly on par with the usual, while female slaughter came in right at the 47% turn-off mark.
The Eastern States Young Cattle Indicator came under the most pressure this week, losing 32¢/kg for the week and landing at 865¢/kg. Of course it remains historically strong, at the second-highest level on record for this particular week of the year, and 12% above the five-year-average. Dalby, Queensland, had 20% of the throughput for the EYCI and averaged 839¢/kg, bringing the price back, while in Wagga Wagga, NSW, (10%) EYCI eligible cattle averaged 919¢/kg.
Feeder steers held up the best nationally, and while Dalby was again the majority yarding, this time it sat well above the average. The national price indicator closed at 484¢/kg, down about 5¢/kg for the week but maintaining the highest premium over month-ago levels of all the major categories, up by 12¢/kg. Processor cows only lost 6¢/kg for the week, and this was on the back of an increase in national indicator throughput of more than 16,000 head, by far the biggest weekly jump. NSW had the top six yardings number wise, and averaged 2¢/kg below the national indicator.
NSW cattle still streaming to market
Next week
The flow of cattle, along with restocker demand, will continue to dictate market movements this coming week. We could see continued strong supply out of NSW as areas still wait for season-making rain, while it could be too early for true restocker activity in some areas which have had rain in abundance, waiting for paddocks and roads to dry out.
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Click on graph to expand
Click on graph to expand
Data sources: MLA, Mecardo
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