Our State of the Market Report tracks market trends across every state during FY2025. By looking at throughput, regional strengths, price indicators and top sales, the series aims to highlight both local dynamics and how each state compares on the national stage.
This week, the focus shifts to Queensland - a cornerstone of AuctionsPlus' cattle and sheep supply.
Queensland’s AuctionsPlus results paint a picture of a state that remains a powerhouse in cattle, supplying more than one in every seven head nationally and producing standout premiums across a variety of breeder lines.
Over FY2025, Queensland vendors offered 14.2% the national throughput of commercial cattle. That performance placed the state firmly in second position behind New South Wales, with a comfortable margin over Victoria and South Australia.
In the breakdown of the regions, Southern Queensland was the clear engine room, turning off 41% of the state’s throughput. Western Queensland followed, contributing 32%, while North and Central Queensland together representing just over a quarter of listings.
This geographic concentration reflects both the state’s breeding base and the dominance of southern regions in supplying the feeder market.
The broader catalogue was led by young cattle in restocker and feeder weight ranges (200–400kg), which drew strong interstate demand.
Prices across Queensland reflected the strength of its breeder lines. Notable sales included a line of 51 pure wagyu, non-station-mated cows and 43 calves reaching $4,500/head. The lot was offered by Kratzmann Rural from Murgon, Southern Queensland.
51 NSM Cows & 43 Calves. Pic: Supplied via AuctionsPlus.
Other standout sales included PTIC cows and calves selling to $4,160 a head in a Speckle Park line, and Santa Gertrudis heifers making $3,100 a head.
The spread of strong sales across Wagyu, Speckle Park, Braford, Santa Gertrudis and Charolais underline the diversity of Queensland’s herd and the breadth of buyer demand. Market indicators echoed this depth, with the AuctionsPlus Young Cattle Indicator (AYCI) sitting at 438c/kg liveweight at an average of 309kg.
Sheep throughput in Queensland, while smaller than cattle, still made a valuable contribution to the national market. Queensland vendors listed 3.3% of AuctionsPlus sheep numbers during FY2025.
The bulk of activity came from the state’s traditional strongholds, with Western Queensland turning off nearly two-thirds of listings (65%), while Southern Queensland accounted for 34% of the state’s throughput.
Top-price sales were led by crossbred lambs and Merino breeding ewes, with Queensland vendors taking advantage of interstate restocker demand when local seasons tightened. Restocker lambs consistently found strong competition from NSW and Victorian buyers.
The state’s AuctionsPlus Restocker Lamb Indicator (ARLI) recorded its peak as 1,082c/kg dressed weight at a 32kg average liveweight on May 24, 2025.
This was only fractionally behind NSW, while sitting beneath the levels achieved in South Australia and Victoria.
