Battle of the heavyweights

As we have entered winter the Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA) Heavy Lamb Indicator as surged past $10 on a carcass weight basis as processors scramble for limited supply.

Cattle, Market Insights

Global trade hungry for Aussie beef

Australian beef exports continue to boom, as the global beef supply generally is affected by low herd numbers and disease concerns...

Cattle

Heifer prices a lead indicator to herd rebuild, but it won’t be a national one

Restocker heifer price spreads to steers are a unique indicator into producer demand for cattle based on the cattle cycle. The Q2 ...

Cattle

When a breaking drought meets a good season

It’s safe to say the cattle market has never seen market dynamics of the like currently impacting the market.

Global trade hungry for Aussie beef

With Australian beef export volumes at an all-time high for the year-to-May period so far, an increase in overseas prices offers plenty of positivity for when we pass peak supply, writes Jamie-Lee Oldfield.

Heifer prices a lead indicator to herd rebuild, but it won’t be a national one

Ripley Atkinson flags that a potential southern herd rebuild would tighten price spreads with steers in this market if the season allows for it.

When a breaking drought meets a good season

Angus Brown discusses what could happen to the cattle market when there is grass in the south again.

Forecast rain spells opportunity for southern producers

Despite not being enough to be considered drought breaking rain, the recent falls in southern Australia have most certainly been enough to spark a lift in confidence, writes Ripley Atkinson.

Slaughter performance five years in the making beginning to show

Cattle slaughter and production data from Q1 2025 provides further evidence that the industry is moving towards the cyclical highs typical of the cattle cycle. Notably, cattle slaughter in Victoria ranked within the top 8% of all quarters on record, underscoring the scale of current activity.

Are feedlots filling up?

Australia’s red meat sector has experienced significant market volatility in recent years. By adjusting for inflation using ABS Consumer Price Index data, it creates a better understanding of how cattle prices have moved over the past two decades.

Northern interest puts a floor under livestock prices

The first two weeks of May have seen near-record online listings and the highest saleyard yardings in seven years. Despite dry conditions across the south, it’s been the strength of northern buying that’s propped up the market—putting a floor under prices and helping it perform well above where it might have been otherwise, writes Ripley Atkinson.

First look at exports post-tariff

Angus Brown takes discusses the first look at how US tariffs are impacting Australian beef and lamb exports to the US and China, with insights from April's export data.

Growing cattle supply a reflection of the beef industry’s move towards cyclical production highs

At a point where general market activity is significantly hampered by short working weeks, this window gives us an opportunity to examine some more structural aspects of cattle supply so far in 2025, writes Ripley Atkinson.

Battle of the heavyweights

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Global trade hungry for Aussie beef

Heifer prices a lead indicator to herd rebuild, but it won’t be a national one

When a breaking drought meets a good season

Global trade hungry for Aussie beef

Heifer prices a lead indicator to herd rebuild, but it won’t be a national one

When a breaking drought meets a good season

Forecast rain spells opportunity for southern producers

Slaughter performance five years in the making beginning to show

Are feedlots filling up?

Northern interest puts a floor under livestock prices

First look at exports post-tariff

Growing cattle supply a reflection of the beef industry’s move towards cyclical production highs

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