Home - Beef Central

Cattle producers size up agtech opportunities at EvokeAg

Several groups of North Queensland cattle producers travelled from one end of the country to the other last week to find out first-hand what is happening in the agtech space. What did they find?..Read More

Beef Central, February 24, 2020

News

Transporters push for own FMD-style income smoothing scheme

Calls for the Australian Government to establish an income smoothing scheme for rural transport businesses, similar to the Farm Management Deposit scheme used by farming businesses across the country, are being led by the Australian Livestock and Rural Transporters Association…Read More

Beef Central, February 21, 2020

Genetics

Adelaide to host 2020 Livestock Genetics Forum

Genetics as a tool to help tackle variable climate – including what new traits are being investigated and how producers are changing their breeding programs – is just one of the topics for discussion at MLA’s 2020 Livestock Genetics Forum being held in Adelaide next month. ..Read More

Beef Central, February 24, 2020

Markets

Ballarat steer sale: ‘take no prisoners’ bidding in record sale

A “take no prisoners” bidding attitude described the intense competition that ensued at Ballarat on Friday, where agents offered a very high quality yarding of 5200 steers…Read More

Peter Kostos, February 24, 2020

Markets

Record AuctionsPlus offering produces all-time highs for young steers

New c/kg records were set for young cattle on AuctionsPlus this week, where a record offering of 17,849 head was catalogued across commercial sales…Read More

Jon Condon, February 22, 2020

Markets

AuctionsPlus numbers hit all-time record, as market goes into overdrive

Driven by the rain-fuelled boom in cattle prices, cattle numbers offered on AuctionsPlus have hit an all-time record this week, as vendors seek to cash-in on buyer momentum…Read More

Jon Condon, February 21, 2020

Lotfeeding

Feedgrain Focus: Barley eases but wheat, sorghum hold ground

Barley values have come under pressure this week from increased supply to the domestic market, but wheat and sorghum have traded steady to slightly higher as traders and consumers endeavour to figure out where new-crop prospects are heading…Read More

Liz Wells, February 21, 2020

Live Export

Live export prices push back toward record highs

James Nason, February 21, 2020

Recruitment

Recruitment & HR: Labor appointees dominate Fair Work Commission ranks

Beef Central, February 21, 2020

Markets

Dubbo sale 20 Feb 2020: Restockers, processors tussle for cows

David Monk, February 21, 2020

Ag Tech

EvokeAg speakers explore barriers to agtech uptake

Jon Condon, February 20, 2020

Live Export

SE Asia Report: Viral issues have disruptive potential

Dr Ross Ainsworth, February 20, 2020

Property

Weekly property review: Vendors and buyers dancing in the rain

Property editor Linda Rowley, February 19, 2020

News

People on the Move: Appointments, retirements, achievements

Multiple staff movements at CPC | New feedlot manager for Mort & Co Grassdale | New GM hits the ground running at Stockco | MLA appoints Japan/Korea manager | Appointments start for Rocky’s Beef 2021 | Kimberley’s Yeeda beef plant appoints new CEO | Salute to popular and long-serving Elanco staffmember | Ex banker joins Colliers property team | New partner for specialist property agency | Meat processing technology company appoints MD | AgForce coordinator to reduce wild dog impacts..Read More

Jon Condon, February 19, 2020

Property

Palgrove expands into southern NSW with Gilgal buy

Palgrove has purchased Gilgal as its first property in southern New South Wales to supplement the capabilities of its Queensland and northern NSW holdings…Read More

Liz Wells, February 18, 2020

News

EvokeAg 2020: Sparks as meat and plant protein share same stage

The hype around meat-substitutes and tensions between conventional and startup protein sources were in clear evidence on Day One of Agrifutures Australia’s EvokeAg 2020 agri-technology conference in Melbourne on Tuesday…Read More

James Nason, February 19, 2020

Markets

AuctionsPlus numbers hit all-time record, as market goes into overdrive

Driven by the rain-fuelled boom in cattle prices, cattle numbers offered on AuctionsPlus have hit an all-time record this week, as vendors seek to cash-in on buyer momentum…Read More

Jon Condon, February 21, 2020

Markets

Eastern cattle buyers raid WA for scarce stock

Demand for cattle to restock paddocks in Queensland and New South Wales following recent February rains is now reaching across the Nullabor as restockers and lot feeders scour the country for supply options…Read More

James Nason, February 18, 2020

Live Export

How is coronavirus impacting the cattle shipping trade?

Impacts on Australia’s cattle shipping trade from the Coronavirus outbreak in China and other parts of Asia have been minimal to date, according to exporters, with current shipments on the water and those contracted to be delivered expected to continue as scheduled…Read More

James Nason, February 19, 2020

Property

Weekly property review: Vendors and buyers dancing in the rain

What a difference three weeks and some rain has made to large expanses of Australia. While it has been patchy in parts, many districts have reported good falls and agents are increasingly optimistic about property market sentiment in 2020. This week’s review is a snapshot of what’s happening in some key regions after the seasonal change..Read More

Property editor Linda Rowley, February 19, 2020

Markets

Are live cattle shipments from WA to Qld a possibility?

If it made economic sense to ship grain by sea from Western Australia to eastern Australia to fill a feed void during drought, does the same principle apply to cattle?..Read More

James Nason, February 18, 2020

Weekly Kill Reports

Weekly kill: Processors trim schedules as supply squeeze grows

Larger beef processors are talking cutbacks on slaughter in coming weeks, as the effects of recent leaps in cattle price and short supply start to weigh more heavily on processor profitability…Read More

Jon Condon, February 18, 2020

Markets

Record AuctionsPlus offering produces all-time highs for young steers

New c/kg records were set for young cattle on AuctionsPlus this week, where a record offering of 17,849 head was catalogued across commercial sales…Read More

Jon Condon, February 22, 2020

Industry Dashboard

$A / $US Graph

Updated 7am daily

Today

0.6610

Source: NAB

ASX Market Index

24 Feb 2020 (updated 10am daily)

Company	Price	Trending
Elders	$8.16
Australian Agricultural Co	$1.14
Graincorp	$8.18
Ridley	$0.97
Woolworths	$42.65
Wellard	$0.06

Source: ASX

Beef Kill

Eastern States, weekly

Last Week

131389

Source: MLA's NLRS

EYCI

Eastern Young Cattle Indicator, c/kg

Today

701.75

Source: MLA's NLRS

90CL Cow

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

Today

715.1

Source: Steiner Consulting, MLA

Live Export

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

Today

360

Source: Trade contacts

SOI Graph

Southern Oscillation Index (SOI)

Today

0.1

Source: Australian Bureau of Meteorology

Feeder Steer Graph

Shortfed feeder steer 380-500kg - c/kg paddock sales, eastern states.

Today

339.3

Source: MLA's NLRS

What readers are saying

AuctionsPlus numbers hit all-time record, as market goes into overdrive

Well done AuctionsPlus..

Jeremy Kinnon

AuctionsPlus numbers hit all-time record, as market goes into overdrive

Wonderful result and never a doubt it would happen. Well done AuctionsPlus.....

Dennis Scanlon

Are live cattle shipments from WA to Qld a possibility?

From my recollection in addition to the ones outlined above there is a third factor that comes into play. It is my understanding that the Australian maritime unions will not....

Chris Hughes

Blue card requirement for rural fire fighters sparks outrage

It was interesting to read the comments of others who have the same opinion as I. As a rural volunteer fire fighter for 17years, I will not be going....

Steve Barlow

Transporters push for own FMD-style income smoothing scheme

Beef Central, February 21, 2020

Recruitment & HR: Labor appointees dominate Fair Work Commission ranks

Coalition Government appointees to the Fair Work Commission have been overwhelmingly frozen out of significant Full Bench determinations over the past three years, according to new analysis…Read More

Beef Central, February 21, 2020

EvokeAg speakers explore barriers to agtech uptake

Challenges surrounding the adoption of ag technologies by producers surfaced during discussion at a number of panel sessions held during Melbourne’s EvokeAg event this week…Read More

Jon Condon, February 20, 2020

Producers share red meat’s story in new on-farm videos

Red meat producers feature in a series of new on-farm videos designed to showcase the industry’s strong environmental, social and animal welfare credentials to consumers…Read More

Beef Central, February 20, 2020

Markets

Ballarat steer sale: ‘take no prisoners’ bidding in record sale

A “take no prisoners” bidding attitude described the intense competition that ensued at Ballarat on Friday, where agents offered a very high quality yarding of 5200 steers…Read More

Peter Kostos, February 24, 2020

Record AuctionsPlus offering produces all-time highs for young steers

New c/kg records were set for young cattle on AuctionsPlus this week, where a record offering of 17,849 head was catalogued across commercial sales…Read More

Jon Condon, February 22, 2020

AuctionsPlus numbers hit all-time record, as market goes into overdrive

Driven by the rain-fuelled boom in cattle prices, cattle numbers offered on AuctionsPlus have hit an all-time record this week, as vendors seek to cash-in on buyer momentum…Read More

Jon Condon, February 21, 2020

Dubbo sale 20 Feb 2020: Restockers, processors tussle for cows

Northern, southern, and local restockers push the processors out on the plainer conditioned cows resulting in those plainer cows selling at firm rates while the better conditioned heavier weight cows to the processors were 15c/kg cheaper, which is in line with all other major markets for the week…Read More

David Monk, February 21, 2020

Production

Rain event sparks three-day, buffalo fly, anthrax outbreaks

Cattle in areas of Queensland, NSW and the Northern Territory that have been exposed to solid rain over the past month are already being impacted by heavy external parasite and disease challenges…Read More

Jon Condon, February 14, 2020

Rangeland weeds in splatter gun scope

Splatter gun technology testing is successfully attacking several rangeland weeds, minimising chemical usage and better targeting weed outbreaks…Read More

Beef Central, February 11, 2020

Producers urged to join Phosphorus Challenge

Northern beef producers have a fortnight remaining to sign up for Meat & Livestock Australia’s 2020 Phosphorus Challenge. The Challenge not only provides participating producers with insights about the P status of their mobs, but also helps build a fuller picture of the P status of northern herds and demonstrate the benefits of testing and P supplementation…Read More

Beef Central, February 7, 2020

Pioneering project allows smaller graziers to earn carbon credits for first time

Carbon project developer, Natural Carbon is partnering with cattle station operator, Paraway Pastoral Co and carbon market specialists Corporate Carbon, on a national ‘herd aggregation’ project – giving smaller graziers a first opportunity to participate in the Australian carbon market…Read More

Beef Central, January 30, 2020

Processing

Weekly kill: Processors trim schedules as supply squeeze grows

Jon Condon, February 18, 2020

Weekly kill: Processors face growing supply challenge as rain impact soaks in

More substantial rain across the eastern half of NSW and QLD in the past seven days has made beef processing a day-to-day proposition this week, with plenty of large export plants planning to cancel shifts due to challenges in accessing stock. Wet weather money is being splashed around, with one QLD processor’s grid this week offering an unprecedented 580c/kg…Read More

Jon Condon, February 11, 2020

Weekly kill: Grid price surge continues, with more rain in prospect

Slaughter cattle prices have surged again this week – in some cases to record levels – as the accumulated benefit of recent significant rain across parts of eastern Australia and prospect of more to come sinks in…Read More

Jon Condon, February 4, 2020

Weekly kill: Cattle prices surge, as long-weekend rain impact starts to soak-in

Priceless rain across large parts of eastern and northern Australia over the past week has created a new dynamic in the red meat industry’s slaughter cattle supply/demand equation, but it is still too early to determine how long-lasting and profound the change is…Read More

Jon Condon, January 28, 2020

Lotfeeding

Feedgrain Focus: Barley eases but wheat, sorghum hold ground

Liz Wells, February 21, 2020

Larger losses seen in grainfed trading budget, as feeder prices skyrocket

Dramatic price rises for feeder cattle since January and early February rain have kept results in Beef Central’s first 100-day grainfed trading budget for 2020 in significant loss territory, despite a sharp rise in slaughter cattle offers yesterday…Read More

Jon Condon, February 18, 2020

Is plant-based meat all it’s cracked up to be?

Plant-based meat substitutes available in Australian supermarkets may have the appearance of being a healthful option, but on average contain six times more sodium than meat…Read More

Beef Central, February 17, 2020

Feedlot numbers hit record 1.239 million head

Cattle numbers on feed across Australia have hit a record high according to the December quarterly feedlot industry survey released this morning. The survey showed there were 1,239,563 head of cattle on feed in the December quarter, a rise of more than 92,000 head on the previous record set in the April-June quarter last year, and up 10.7pc on the previous September quarter…Read More

Beef Central, February 13, 2020

Live Export

Live export prices push back toward record highs

Northern export prices are nudging back toward record levels as cattle supplies run scarce ahead of the first mustering round of the season, likely to still be a month away…Read More

James Nason, February 21, 2020

SE Asia Report: Viral issues have disruptive potential

In today’s South East Asian beef market report: Indonesian cattle prices weaker but currency much stronger; Thai slaughter prices push through AUD$5 for the first time, and African Swine Fever moves to infect Mindanao in southern Philippines..Read More

Dr Ross Ainsworth, February 20, 2020

SE Asia Report: Viral issues have disruptive potential (Bahasa edition)

Dr Ross Ainsworth, February 20, 2020

How is coronavirus impacting the cattle shipping trade?

James Nason, February 19, 2020

Trade

Manufacturing beef prices continue to soften, as China trade slows

LEAN manufacturing beef export prices continue to decline, on the back of moderate demand out of the US, and the lack of competitive tension from Chinese buyers as a result of the recent coronavirus event and the passing of Chinese New Year demand…Read More

Jon Condon, February 17, 2020

Domestic wholesale meat prices come under heavy pressure

A surplus of meat on the domestic market – driven in part by diversion of product out of export to China, and particularly flat February consumer demand – has put heavy downwards pressure on domestic wholesale beef prices this month…Read More

Jon Condon, February 12, 2020

Coronavirus impact stalls imported beef supply chain in China

As the impact of coronavirus continues to spread across China, trade in imported meat and other commodities is coming under increasing pressure…Read More

Jon Condon, February 11, 2020

WA butcher in mood for expansion nails National Sausage King titles

Progressive Western Australian independent butcher Milan Matutinovich was the big winner in the national finals of the coveted Sausage Kings competition staged at Terrigal on the NSW Central Coast on the weekend. ..Read More

Jon Condon, February 10, 2020

Genetics

Adelaide to host 2020 Livestock Genetics Forum

Beef Central, February 24, 2020

Weekly genetics review: Better data to drive breeding and buying decisions

A useful and often overlooked search option when screening bulls on BreedPlan is the Herd Completeness of Performance Rating. The rating is designed to quickly show how much data a breeder has been contributing to BreedPlan from their herd. “It’s often overlooked by bull buyers and can be a useful way to narrow searches down for high accuracy sires,” genetics editor Al Rayner says. ..Read More

Genetics editor Alastair Rayner, February 18, 2020

$126,000 top for 2020 Nutrien Classic performance horses

Elite performance horses sold to a top of $126,000 at the 2020 Nutrien Classic sale and campdraft held in Tamworth over nine days, ending Sunday…Read More

Beef Central, February 11, 2020

Weekly genetics review: Considerations for autumn calving herds

With the autumn bull season ramping up, it is time to consider what attributes should be considered to maintain successful autumn calving programs. Autumn calving is a widespread practice in many southern beef herds, and is also common in herds in central and northern parts of NSW, as producers search for ways to maintain market versatility and even-out cash flow and continuity of supply into brand programs during the year…Read More

Genetics editor Alastair Rayner, February 11, 2020

Ag Tech

Cattle producers size up agtech opportunities at EvokeAg

Beef Central, February 24, 2020

EvokeAg speakers explore barriers to agtech uptake

Challenges surrounding the adoption of ag technologies by producers surfaced during discussion at a number of panel sessions held during Melbourne’s EvokeAg event this week…Read More

Jon Condon, February 20, 2020

NFF Code sets ground rules for farm data

The National Farmers’ Federation has released the first iteration of the Australian Farm Data Code, in a move designed to help farmers embrace new technologies while maintaining confidence in how their data is used…Read More

Beef Central, February 20, 2020

Camera-based MSA carcase grading primed for launch

Final approval has been granted by the AusMeat Language and Standards Committee for the use of objective digital camera technology in performing MSA grading in processing plants. Teys Australia is set to be the first processor to implement E+V camera-based MSA grading, at its Wagga Wagga facility in NSW…Read More

Jon Condon, February 6, 2020