Home - Beef Central

Angus Australia challenges MLA over multi-breed evaluation moves

The nation’s largest and most influential seedstock representative body has taken MLA to task over its proposed establishment of a national multi-breed genetic evaluation platform…Read More

Jon Condon, 21/10/2026

Property

Weekly property review: Recently completed sales

Record for Augathella dress circle country | Farming families pay $14m for Innisfail Downs in NW Qld | NQ’s Ella Vale changes hands | CW NSW’s Kallara makes $2.2m..Read More

Property editor Linda Rowley, 21/10/2026

Property

Properties for sale – NSW and SA

NSW grazing aggregation offered for $26m–$27m | Bartlett brothers list SA’s blue-ribbon Tolcairn | Two New England beef platforms head to auction | New price guide for Manning Valley’s Strike A Light..Read More

Property editor Linda Rowley, 21/10/2026

Property

Movement at the Station: Recent property listings in Queensland

Atherton family lists 3 NQ cattle stations | Hughenden’s Zara Station has capacity for 5000 cattle | Abundant feed & water on Wattlevale | Langham offers beef & reef on Capricorn Coast..Read More

Property editor Linda Rowley, 21/10/2026

News

Why have export grinding meat prices softened this year?

A big disconnect has emerged between slaughter cow prices and values for lean grinding meat heading into the US. What’s driving it? ..Read More

Jon Condon, 21/10/2026

News

Saleyard prices rally as rain cancels and postpones sales

As wet weather continues across Queensland, at least two cattle sales have been cancelled or postponed to next week…Read More

Beef Central, 21/10/2026

From data to decisions: How technology is reshaping the way cattle producers manage for efficiency

Cattle producers have always adapted to new technology, but the latest wave of innovation is giving them something previous generations never had: the ability to measure what is happening across the paddock and use that information to make more informed management decisions…Read More

Judging well advanced for next year’s Beef 2027 National Beef Carcase Competition

Judging is now well advanced for next year’s National Beef Carcase Competition, held every three years as part of the Beef Australia 2027 industry event in Rockhampton next May…Read More

Jon Condon, 21/10/2026

News

Six different perspectives on the EU free trade agreement

Eric Barker, 21/10/2026

Markets

Dalby sale 21 October 2026: Numbers fall to 3280 head on rain; Prices lift with restocker support

Beef Central, 21/10/2026

News

Victorian Farmers call for Govt to rule out further water buybacks

Beef Central, 21/10/2026

Genetics

Weekly genetics review: Look past the turnoff when judging your breeding program

Genetics editor Alastair Rayner, 20/10/2026

Genetics

Charters Towers vets take the guesswork out of reading BullCheck certificates

Beef Central, 20/10/2026

Processing

Weekly kill: Rain pushes some grids higher, as supply tightens

Jon Condon, 20/10/2026

Industry Dashboard

Carbon Trading Market

Aust. Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs) - $/tonne of CO2 equiv.

Today

38.10

Source: Jarden

$A / $US

Updated 7am daily

Today

0.6979

Source: NAB

ASX Market Index

22 Oct 2026 (updated 10am daily)

Company	Price	Trending
Elders	$8.96
Australian Agricultural Co	$1.52
Graincorp	$7.29
Ridley	$2.12
Woolworths	$36.64
Wellard	$0.06

Source: ASX

Beef Kill

Eastern States, weekly

Last Week

150172

Source: MLA's NLRS

EYCI

Eastern Young Cattle Indicator, c/kg

Today

983.2

Source: MLA's NLRS

90CL Cow

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

Today

1005

Source: Steiner Consulting, MLA

Live Export

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

Today

450

Source: Trade contacts

SOI

Southern Oscillation Index (SOI)

Today

-20.95

Source: Australian Bureau of Meteorology

Feeder Steer

NLRS-reported yards (feedlot buyers only); 0-600kg, 0-2T, c/kg LW

Today

507

Source: Feeder Steer

What readers are saying

Parties must put Australian farmers first on EU trade deal: McIntyre

The outcome achieved is an absolute affront to Australian cattle producers. I call on all sides of politics and industry to robustly oppose our government ratification of the current....

David Foote

“A fitting tribute”: The Luke Bowen Bridge

This man deserves every last drop of recognition that is bestowed upon him. RIP.....

Barry Hughes

Queensland’s regional employer payroll tax concession – not fit for purpose

Thanks so much for bringing this issue forward. Have been in this battle for almost 12 months. If they can find one scrap of evidence to prove....

Josie Angus

2026 Australian Beef Report: What separates the top 25pc from the rest?

That's an informative read...

Angus Geddes

Why have export grinding meat prices softened this year?

A big disconnect has emerged between slaughter cow prices and values for lean grinding meat heading into the US. What’s driving it? ..Read More

Jon Condon, 21/10/2026

Saleyard prices rally as rain cancels and postpones sales

As wet weather continues across Queensland, at least two cattle sales have been cancelled or postponed to next week…Read More

Beef Central, 21/10/2026

Judging well advanced for next year’s Beef 2027 National Beef Carcase Competition

Judging is now well advanced for next year’s National Beef Carcase Competition, held every three years as part of the Beef Australia 2027 industry event in Rockhampton next May…Read More

Jon Condon, 21/10/2026

Six different perspectives on the EU free trade agreement

As beef industry groups urge parliament to reject a free trade agreement with the European Union, opinions appear to be more divided in Canberra and elsewhere…Read More

Eric Barker, 21/10/2026

Markets

Dalby sale 21 October 2026: Numbers fall to 3280 head on rain; Prices lift with restocker support

Falls of rain across the supply area along with further promising forecasts reduced numbers at Dalby to 3280 head this morning. With strong support from interstate restockers in the young cattle section, prices generally improved…Read More

Beef Central, 21/10/2026

Roma sale 20 Oct 2026: Yarding eases to 3427 head

A quality yarding of cattle penned with runs of weaners and feeders and small number bullocks with a large portion of prime cows grain and crop fattened…Read More

Beef Central, 20/10/2026

Gunnedah 20 Oct 2026: Strong competition in overall dearer market

Light steers to the restocker made from 564c to 688c and averaged 631c/kg while the light heifers made from 455c to 596c to average 516c/kg…Read More

Beef Central, 20/10/2026

Heifers show solid gains in online trading, as weather prospect pushes restockers forward

Price recovery was evident in most heifer and some steer categories in online trading this week, where the offering lifted 14 percent on last week to 11,846 head. Restockers were again active on young cattle ahead of forecast rain…Read More

Beef Central, 16/10/2026

Livestock SA has welcomed the South Australian government’s $8 million Primary Industries Future Forward Fund as an opportunity to support practical, industry-led initiatives that strengthen the state’s livestock industry…Read More

Beef Central, 05/10/2026

Scholarship to give working dog education across the US

Applications are open for a new scholarship that will give young people with a passion for working dogs the opportunity to undertake a tour of America, aiming to improve their skills…Read More

Beef Central, 02/10/2026

Bull breakdown can cost herd performance

Losing young bulls to breakdown was once a major cost for an Esperance (WA) cattle producing family – but 20 years of vaccinating virgin bulls before joining has helped them reduce losses and improve their confidence in investing in better genetics…Read More

Beef Central, 29/09/2026

Processing

Weekly kill: Rain pushes some grids higher, as supply tightens

This week’s rain event is pressuring supply for beef processors – both short and potentially, longer-term – pushing some direct consignment offers and saleyards markets higher…Read More

Jon Condon, 20/10/2026

Weekly kill: Rain prospect brings grid rises in some areas

Weather – or more accurately the prospect of it – is again providing the underpinnings for slaughter cattle supply and demand this week, with some grids moving 10-20c higher in anticipation of tighter supply…Read More

Jon Condon, 13/10/2026

Australian meat yields have gone down over 20 years, is it time for a re-focus?

Record export volumes and carcase weights are masking a growing concern in the Australian beef industry, according to one of the country’s most respected meat scientists…Read More

Eric Barker, 08/10/2026

Weekly kill: Weather contrasts, poor export outlook drive slaughter markets

It’s a nation of weather contrasts this week, with handy rain across large parts of Victoria, southeastern NSW and into South Australia over the past week seeing slaughter cattle supply dwindle in that region, while conditions continue to deteriorate in Qld and northern NSW…Read More

Jon Condon, 06/10/2026

Lotfeeding

Feedgrain Focus: North firms, south eases as harvest ramps up

Prices have firmed in the north and eased in the south amid more patchy rain, and concerns about locusts in Vic’s Mallee region…Read More

Liz Wells, 19/10/2026

Feeder cattle market: Grids strengthen as northern rain builds

Northern feeder cattle grids have risen slightly in the north, with one of the first signs of widespread Spring rain starting to appear…Read More

Eric Barker, 12/10/2026

Feedgrain Focus: Patchy rain a mixed blessing

Patchy rain is bringing mixed blessings, with a yield top-up, some hay damage in the south, and a slowing of harvest but improved hopes for sorghum planting in the north…Read More

Liz Wells, 12/10/2026

Hay, cottonseed, silage: What’s the outlook like for roughages heading towards a dry summer?

As the season dries out in parts of Queensland and cattle keep trickling into saleyards, it is worth taking a look at the supply of hay and other roughages…Read More

Eric Barker and Lydia Burton, 07/10/2026

Live Export

Live cattle exports ease, but Darwin prices hold ahead of Ramadan buying

Australia’s live cattle exports fell by almost 35 percent in September, but Darwin feeder prices remain firm as the trade prepares for an expected lift in Indonesian buying ahead of Ramadan…Read More

James Nason, 14/10/2026

A fresh look at Australia’s livestock exporting companies, 2005 to June 2026

Who are Australia’s active live exporting companies, and where do they operate? Since 2005 there have been 59 different companies that have exported livestock by sea, and the number of exporters still active in the last three years has sat at 16, down slightly from 19 in 2022, live export market commentator Michael Patching reports…Read More

Dr Michael Patching, 01/10/2026

SE Asia Report: Thailand working on plan to ship 100,000 cattle per month to China

The Thai agriculture ministry announced on 17 June that it is targeting the collection of Thai beef cattle for export by ship to China at 100,000 head a month, or 1.2 million head a year, through a quarantine hub to be built at Bang Saphan – a privately owned deep-sea port that Australian exporters used to discharge cattle back in 2015…Read More

Dr Michael Patching, 16/09/2026

Cattle shipments and prices rise, defying Indonesia’s headwinds

Higher supply often correlates with lower prices, yet despite monthly cattle export volumes climbing to a year-high in August, the price of live export steers ex-Darwin climbed to 440c–450c/kg for good lines. So what is driving the apparent contradiction?..Read More

James Nason, 11/09/2026

Trade

Central Qld’s King River Wagyu supply chain claims regional exporter award

Wagyu beef supply chain King River has claimed a major award during the 2026 Premier of Queensland’s Export awards held in Brisbane this week…Read More

Jon Condon, 16/10/2026

Playing with the big boys: Brazil’s beef export push set to intensify competition for Australia

Brazil’s emergence as the world’s largest beef producer and exporter is reshaping global trade flows and intensifying competition in several of Australia’s key export markets, according to a recent report…Read More

Beef Central, 09/10/2026

Trade distortions continue to buffet September beef exports

Australia’s beef exports continue to be buffeted by a combination of trade distortions caused by quotas and tariffs, with September export activity data released this morning reflecting the challenging trading conditions. ..Read More

Jon Condon, 07/10/2026

Aussie dollar slides well below US70c

The Aussie dollar has dipped sharply since the closing stages of September, dropping below US70c for most of the past week…Read More

Beef Central, 06/10/2026

Genetics

Angus Australia challenges MLA over multi-breed evaluation moves

The nation’s largest and most influential seedstock representative body has taken MLA to task over its proposed establishment of a national multi-breed genetic evaluation platform…Read More

Jon Condon, 21/10/2026

Weekly genetics review: Look past the turnoff when judging your breeding program

This week’s column looks at why year-to-year sales figures on their own can’t show whether a herd’s genetics are improving. It draws on a new Livestock Science paper on long-term drivers of northern beef performance, and the Bush AgriBusiness Australian Beef Report 2026, then works through where genetics can help a herd move closer to the top 25pc performance target through more weaners, fewer deaths and heavier sale cattle…Read More

Genetics editor Alastair Rayner, 20/10/2026

Charters Towers vets take the guesswork out of reading BullCheck certificates

With North Queensland’s major annual bull sales now kicking off, cattle producers in the region are encouraged to seek assistance in interpreting BullCheck test results comprehensively…Read More

Beef Central, 20/10/2026

Weekly genetics review: What’s behind heavier weaners?

With next year’s calves now on the ground for many commercial cattle and seedstock producers, this week’s column looks at what sits behind a weaning weight, how much comes from the calf and how much from the cow, and why a single weight shouldn’t be relied on when selecting bulls or keeping heifers. It draws on the long-term Line 1 Hereford work at Fort Keogh, BreedPlan guidance and the Beef CRC maternal productivity project…Read More

Genetics editor Alastair Rayner, 13/10/2026

Ag Tech

User-friendly drone technology targeting weeds hovers into view

Land managers are closer to harnessing the benefits of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning technologies to help them manage Australia’s large and diverse exotic weed pest challenge…Read More

Beef Central, 28/08/2026

Technology to bolster on-farm biosecurity compliance

For biosecurity plans to be successful, they must be followed by everyone who enters a property. Technology has been developed to help make this easier…Read More

Lydia Burton, 07/08/2026

Virtual fencing delivers 99pc sheep, 96pc cattle compliance in US grazing trial

A year-long grazing trial in the United States has demonstrated high rates of compliance for cattle and sheep managed with virtual fencing technology…Read More

James Nason, 08/07/2026

High-tech simulator boosting safety on Queensland farms

A machinery simulation unit will be deployed to schools and feedlots across Qld as AgForce Training works to boost farm safety…Read More

Beef Central, 08/07/2026

AgProperty Central

Weekly property review: Recently completed sales

Record for Augathella dress circle country | Farming families pay $14m for Innisfail Downs in NW Qld | NQ’s Ella Vale changes hands | CW NSW’s Kallara makes $2.2m..Read More

Property editor Linda Rowley, 21/10/2026

Properties for sale – NSW and SA

Property editor Linda Rowley, 21/10/2026

Movement at the Station: Recent property listings in Queensland

Atherton family lists 3 NQ cattle stations | Hughenden’s Zara Station has capacity for 5000 cattle | Abundant feed & water on Wattlevale | Langham offers beef & reef on Capricorn Coast..Read More

Property editor Linda Rowley, 21/10/2026

Weekly property review: Feedlot values double as sector experiences unprecedented investment cycle

Australia’s grainfeeding sector has been identified as the standout performer across the rural property market over the past 12 to 18 months, recording the highest volume of transactions in more than three decades and a dramatic escalation in asset values…Read More

Property editor Linda Rowley, 14/10/2026

AgCarbon Central

Call for food production to be protected in carbon market development

With the Federal Government reviewing the main policy underpinning demand for carbon credits, the National Farmers Federation says it needs to make sure food production is protected…Read More

Beef Central, 30/09/2026

Opinion: A bad time to be a tree in Queensland

James Henderson is a producer from Monto in Central Queensland and a co-founder of carbon and natural capital advisory IsidoreAg. In this contributed article, he argues that the Federal Government’s new environmental laws combined with a tightening of carbon and natural capital opportunities is pushing landholders to clear more trees than necessary…Read More

James Henderson, 08/09/2026

New method makes dual emissions reporting available to cattle companies

A new research paper has developed the first methodology enabling livestock companies to report their greenhouse gas emissions using both GWP100 and GWP*…Read More

James Nason, 02/09/2026

NFF raises concerns about proposed changes to soil carbon

The National Farmers Federation has raised concerns about proposed changes to Australia’s soil carbon methodology…Read More

Beef Central, 25/08/2026