Beef Central - Beef Cattle News Australia

Weaner steers to 336c on AuctionsPlus

Prices in most young steer and heifer categories improved a little this week on AuctionsPlus, where 8662 commercial cattle were offered – an increase of 23 percent on last week’s listings…Read More

Beef Central, February 22, 2019

Ag Tech

Swarm Farm Robotics aims to break new AgTech ground + VIDEO

While Queensland farm-based ag tech company Swarm Farm Robotic Agriculture’s business has been largely based on servicing the robotic needs of crop farmers, its founder and others now see potential uses for robots in horticulture, pasture and livestock systems…Read More

Terry Sim, February 22, 2019

Lotfeeding

Feedgrain Focus: Sorghum withers as WA grain feeds five ports

While sorghum’s harvest reality turns grimmer, transhipments of Western Australian grain arriving at every east coast port from Geelong to Brisbane continue to secure supply to livestock, weakened world prices allowing feedgrain values to drift lower this week…Read More

Guest Author, February 22, 2019

Ag Tech

Think global and engage is agtech message for start-ups and farmers

Some Australian agtech start-ups are not thinking big enough, according to venture capitalists at the evokeAG conference in Melbourne this week…Read More

Terry Sim, February 22, 2019

Markets

EYCI approaching lows not seen since 2015

The Eastern Young Cattle Indicator has continued to descend into alarming territory this month, approaching lows not seen since the end of the last major drought episode in 2015…Read More

Beef Central, February 22, 2019

Recruitment

Recruitment: Rocky Expo aims to project red meat industry as an attractive career path

A careers expo being held as part of an upcoming Australian Intercollegiate Meat Judging conference and workshop in Rockhampton will be used to project the red meat industry as an attractive career path option for young undergraduates…Read More

Beef Central, February 22, 2019

News

Webinars to provide helpful financial and pasture recovery advice for flood victims

Beef Central, February 22, 2019

Markets

Dubbo sale 21 Feb 2019: Large numbers rolling in

David Monk, February 22, 2019

Production

The small sap sucking insect that could be causing pasture dieback

James Nason, February 21, 2019

News

Lab-grown meat may be worse for planet: Oxford University study

Beef Central, February 21, 2019

Trade

China competition contributes to sharp US imported beef price rise

Jon Condon, February 21, 2019

News

UPDATED: Is it the RSPCA’s role to help flood affected livestock?

James Nason, February 21, 2019

News

Farmers urged to beware the rise of the ‘predatory activist’

Vegan activists getting in the faces of livestock producers already dealing with the pressure of managing livestock through the impacts of droughts, floods or fires – in some cases all three – what could possibly go wrong?..Read More

James Nason, February 18, 2019

News

Opinion: A NW Qld flood recovery option

Farmer and research economist Ben Rees outlines a Whitlam era policy that he believes offers the best approach to structuring northern flood recovery efforts…Read More

Ben Rees, February 18, 2019

Production

CPC’s annual management gathering salutes leadership and excellence + photos

Managers and senior staff from CPC’s 15 cattle properties scatted across northern Western Australia, the Northern Territory and Queensland, as well as Indonesian feedlots, gathered in Brisbane last week for their annual conference and get-together…Read More

Jon Condon, February 18, 2019

Property

Weekly property review: Cotton on to bigger profits with a switch away from grazing?

Cattle or cotton? That is the question currently being asked in the Top End, with foreign investors who have snapped up a number of grazing properties waiting patiently for the opportunity to diversify into cotton or other farming interests. ..Read More

Property editor Linda Rowley, February 20, 2019

Trade

WA butchers dominate 2019 National Sausage King results

Western Australian butchers provided the lion’s share of winners in the national final of the Australian Meat Industry Council’s ever-popular Sausage Kings competition held in Fremantle on the weekend…Read More

Jon Condon, February 18, 2019

Genetics

Weekly genetics review: Quantifying the impact of hybrid vigour

A large-scale five-year breeding program to quantify the impact that crossbreeding offers commercial producers is drawing to a close this year, providing insights into a range of traits like calving ease, calf weight and survival, female reproductive traits and carcase data. ..Read More

Genetics editor Alastair Rayner, February 19, 2019

Industry Dashboard

$A / $US Graph

Updated 7am daily

Today

0.7104

Source: NAB

ASX Market Index

23 Feb 2019 (updated 10am daily)

Company	Price	Trending
Elders	$6.200
Australian Agricultural Co	$0.910
Graincorp	$9.735
Ruralco	$3.090
Ridley	$1.377
Woolworths	$28.610
Wellard	$0.053
	$

Source: ASX

Beef Kill

Eastern States, weekly

Last Week

146578

Source: MLA's NLRS

EYCI

Eastern Young Cattle Indicator, c/kg

Today

449.5

Source: MLA's NLRS

90CL Cow

Imported 90CL cow beef price. Landed US, Ac/kg CIF

Today

649.9

Source: Steiner Consulting, MLA

Live Export

Live export feeder steer prices ex Darwin (c/kg liveweight)

Today

325

Source: Trade contacts

SOI Graph

Southern Oscillation Index (SOI)

Today

-0.6

Source: Australian Bureau of Meteorology

What readers are saying

UPDATED: Is it the RSPCA’s role to help flood affected livestock?

The dust, the flies, the heat, the rain, mud and mosquitoes. The heartbreak, the disbelief and despair. To survive, to rebuild, to say "this is who we are". All a bit..

Peter Vincent

Opinion: A NW Qld flood recovery option

A shame that one hundred percent compensation was being discussed by irresponsible people giving very distressed people false hope..

Greg brown

Farmers urged to beware the rise of the ‘predatory activist’

In my view, this is stalking. I am not a lawyer but I am sure there are other illegalities that these groups are committing. I suggest that farmers action..

Kayleen Bromley

‘The hand shake’ – reach out to those doing it tough in rural Australia

It was brilliant I had goosebumps and tears . I loved it..

Debbie Clifford

Weaner steers to 336c on AuctionsPlus

Beef Central, February 22, 2019

EYCI approaching lows not seen since 2015

The Eastern Young Cattle Indicator has continued to descend into alarming territory this month, approaching lows not seen since the end of the last major drought episode in 2015…Read More

Beef Central, February 22, 2019

Dubbo sale 21 Feb 2019: Large numbers rolling in

Whilst most sections were a little cheaper it was a much better market than most predicted with the large numbers of weaners and cows selling to pretty solid competition…Read More

David Monk, February 22, 2019

Dalby Sale 20 Feb 2019: Lighter cattle cheaper in 6017 head yarding

Steer calves returning to the paddock improved in price, although light weight yearling steers to restockers were well supplied and averaged 5c/kg cheaper. Medium weight yearling steers to feed eased 14c, and heavy weights averaged 6c to 9c/kg cheaper..Read More

Beef Central, February 21, 2019

Production

The small sap sucking insect that could be causing pasture dieback

They might look small, white and fluffy, but there is nothing cute or cuddly about the impact mealybugs are thought to be having on some of Queensland’s most productive cattle country…Read More

James Nason, February 21, 2019

What to do with drought degraded pastures?

After successive dry seasons deciding which pastures to remove or retain in the crop rotation will be important for many farmers according to Dr Jeff McCormick from the Graham Centre for Agricultural Innovation.

Beef Central, February 19, 2019

CPC’s annual management gathering salutes leadership and excellence + photos

Jon Condon, February 18, 2019

NQ floods: Producers urged to check hay quality | Vets launch help hotline

As truck loads of fodder pour into flood affected north western Queensland, a livestock nutrition expert is appealing to fodder suppliers not to use the event as a dumping opportunity for poor quality hay, which can pose serious dangers to the health of recovering stock…Read More

James Nason, February 15, 2019

Processing

Weekly kill: New wave of cows hitting the market

Tough decisions about disposing of another round of breeding cows out of drought-ravaged regions of NSW and QLD are driving big kills during February. Overall kills last week across the five eastern states reached 146,578 head – easily the largest weekly throughput for the year so far…Read More

Jon Condon, February 19, 2019

Weekly kill: Price grids steady as adequate cattle supply continues

Despite slaughter cattle supply disruptions caused by flooding across north and northwest Queensland, processing rates hit a 2019 high last week, as the remainder of eastern Australian remains locked in a desperate drought cycle…Read More

Jon Condon, February 12, 2019

Weekly kill: far north’s epic rain event has little disruption on cattle supply

While the rest of eastern Australia still awaits some sort of summer seasonal break, flooding rain of biblical proportions in North Queensland is disrupting local kills this week…Read More

Jon Condon, February 5, 2019

Weekly kill: Grid prices stabilise after earlier falls

After a sequence of downward grid price movements over the past three weeks as large numbers of drought impacted cattle hit the market following the Christmas break, direct consignment offers from processors have largely stabilised this week…Read More

Jon Condon, January 30, 2019

Lotfeeding

Feedgrain Focus: Sorghum withers as WA grain feeds five ports

Guest Author, February 22, 2019

WA company fined $30,000 for illegal feedlot

A Victorian company has been fined $30,000 for constructing an unauthorised cattle feedlot at Warradarge in Western Australia’s Mid-West region…Read More

Beef Central, February 15, 2019

Feedgrain Focus: Sorghum fades, boats arrive and cottonseed firms

Continuing hot and dry conditions are dimming yield prospects for sorghum in New South Wales and southern Queensland, where WA grain is supplying much of the feed market’s needs. ..Read More

Liz and Henry Wells, February 1, 2019

Decline in feeder prices improves grainfed trading budget result

A softer feeder cattle market since early January has contributed to an improved – albeit still loss-making – result in Beef Central’s latest 100-day grainfed trading budget calculated this morning…Read More

Jon Condon, January 31, 2019

Live Export

Wellard reports maiden after tax profit in first-half results

Live cattle exporter Wellard Limited has recorded its first half-year profit since listing on the Australian Securities Exchange in December 2015…Read More

Beef Central, February 14, 2019

NQ floods: Live export ships diverted or delayed

Several shipments scheduled to leave Townsville in coming weeks for Indonesia and Vietnam have either been diverted to Darwin or Port Alma or delayed, but none have yet been formally cancelled, according to sources close to the trade…Read More

James Nason, February 8, 2019

SE Asia report: Feedlots still digesting Oct cattle | Floods may disrupt Ramadan supply

It may take well into March for large October imports to be fully eliminated from Indonesian feedlots, while the arrival of the northern monsoon and major flooding could disrupt supply in the crucial lead up period to Ramadan…Read More

Dr Ross Ainsworth, February 7, 2019

Laporan Pasar: Industri Daging Sapi Asia Tenggara – Januari 2019

Pasar masih terus tertekan oleh sapi yang dikirim kepada para penjual daging, karena 81.000 ekor sapi yang diimpor pada Oktober memberikan pengaruh penuh. ..Read More

Dr Ross Ainsworth, February 7, 2019

Trade

China competition contributes to sharp US imported beef price rise

A number of factors, including mounting competition for Australian beef from China and limited supply out of New Zealand, are contributing to a sharp rise in Australian imported manufacturing beef prices in the United States this month…Read More

Jon Condon, February 21, 2019

WA butchers dominate 2019 National Sausage King results

Jon Condon, February 18, 2019

January beef exports set solid early pace

While January traditionally represents the quietest month for Australian export beef trade following summer holiday meat processing and saleyard closures, volume shipped last month was much higher than recent-year comparisons. ..Read More

Jon Condon, February 5, 2019

Poland reports atypical BSE detection

AN atypical case of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopthy (BSE) has been detected in Poland, but poses no risk to human health and will not affect the country’s official BSE status, according to health authorities. ..Read More

Beef Central, February 5, 2019

Genetics

Weekly genetics review: Quantifying the impact of hybrid vigour

Genetics editor Alastair Rayner, February 19, 2019

Repronomics fertility project update at CQ BeefUp forum

An update on the northern beef industry’s critically important Repronomics fertility project will be one of the feature topics at a BeefUp forum being staged at Mundubbera in Central Queensland next month…Read More

Beef Central, February 19, 2019

$230,000 record price for Tamworth performance horse sale filly

The 2019 Landmark Classic performance horse sale which finished up earlier this week has turned over more than $7 million in sales, headlined by a new Australian Performance Horse record of $230,000…Read More

Beef Central, February 15, 2019

Weekly genetics review: Focus on Breeding Objectives

As few as 10 percent of commercial beef breeders may currently be setting breeding objectives within their herds, industry data suggests. The importance of setting breeding objectives was just one of the key topics discussed at a Beef Genetics Network meeting in Armidale last week, genetics editor Alastair Rayner reports…Read More

Genetics editor Alastair Rayner, February 12, 2019

Ag Tech

Swarm Farm Robotics aims to break new AgTech ground + VIDEO

Terry Sim, February 22, 2019

Think global and engage is agtech message for start-ups and farmers

Some Australian agtech start-ups are not thinking big enough, according to venture capitalists at the evokeAG conference in Melbourne this week…Read More

Terry Sim, February 22, 2019

Interest in AgTech soaring as 1100 attend evokeAG event

Australia’s largest agrifood tech event – evokeAG – ignited in Melbourne on Wednesday with a sold-out crowd of more than 1100 delegates and a long list of domestic and international agtech investors and companies…Read More

Terry Sim, February 20, 2019

EvokeAG: FarmLab making soil testing easy + VIDEO

FarmLab chief executive officer Sam Duncan began his pitch at the evokeAG conference in Melbourne with a smile and a simple message – we make soil testing easy…Read More

Terry Sim, February 20, 2019

Property

Weekly property review: Cotton on to bigger profits with a switch away from grazing?

Property editor Linda Rowley, February 20, 2019

Weekly property Review: Recently completed sales

South African family expands its NT footprint with $5.5m deal | Interstate family pays $3.9m for Toowoomba’s Cowarrie | District record for Roma’s Sylvia Downs | Neighbours snap up quality Glen Innes block..Read More

Property editor Linda Rowley, February 13, 2019

Movement at the Station: Properties for sale

CQ coastal country has 14km beach frontage | NSW: Ceres Ag carves off Golden Triangle asset | Well-grassed Hunter Valley properties | High rainfall country available in NSW’s New England | NT: Kingfisher Station changes agents | Land banking potential near Echuca
..Read More

Property editor Linda Rowley, February 13, 2019