Home - Beef Central

How a feedlot became the next step for a growing family farming business

For the Dearden and Durack families buying an established feedlot near Roma four years ago offered a pathway to reducing market volatility, capturing more value and building a more integrated family farming business…Read More

James Nason, 21/08/2026

Markets

Saleyard prices lift as rain builds across Southern Australia

After a steep decline in recent weeks, saleyard prices are again on the rise as numbers hit lowest point since February and rain continues to fall in Southern Australia…Read More

Beef Central, 21/08/2026

Lotfeeding

Three grand finalists named in Young Lot Feeder of the Year awards

Three outstanding young grainfed beef industry stakeholders have been named grand finalists for the Australian Lot Feeders Association’s Young Lot Feeder of the Year Award…Read More

Beef Central, 21/08/2026

News

Explainer: What is happening with fuel prices?

If recent conversations at industry events are anything to go by, the fuel market has moved too quickly for many to keep with. With Beef Central being in the same boat, recently caught up with RaboResearch Australia/New Zealand general manager Stefan Vogel who gave a brief overview of how global conflicts are still putting pressure on oil markets…Read More

Eric Barker, 21/08/2026

The Weekly Grill

S6 Ep26: Live export identity Patrick Underwood

Weekly Grill podcast his Kerry Lonergan caught up recently with live export industry identity Patrick Underwood, talking outlook for the rest of this year and into 2027, challenges being faced by the live export sector including imported boxed meat volumes now arriving in Indonesia, and other topics. ..Read More

Beef Central, 21/08/2026

News

Registrations open for MLA Updates in Townsville

Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA) has opened registrations for MLA Updates 2026, which will be held in Townsville on 24 November…Read More

Beef Central, 21/08/2026

Prosperity Vs Adversity – unlocking genetic progress for your herd

Breeding Shorthorn cattle in the heat and ticks of Central Queensland automatically sets the Marellan herd apart. But for principals, Lincoln and Lisa Jobs, this location is just the beginning of their breeding program…Read More

Recruitment: The workforce has evolved: Is your approach keeping up?

From Baby Boomers to Generation Alpha, each generation has entered the ag sector workplace in a different social, economic and technological environment. Generational labels should never be used to stereotype employees, but they can highlight broad shifts in workplace expectations, writes Agricultural Appointments’ Belinda Chung ..Read More

Guest Author, 21/08/2026

Markets

Charters Towers 19 August 2026: Prices lift with improved quality

Nikki Nason, 21/08/2026

Markets

Dubbo sale 20 August 2026: Heavier feeders and cows up to 15c cheaper in smaller 2400 head yarding

David Monk, NLRS, 21/08/2026

News

Beef production smashes records as lamb and mutton slows in financial year 2025-26

Beef Central, 20/08/2026

News

Farm numbers drop but ag leads in business survival rate

James Nason, 20/08/2026

Opinion

Former NAPCo head Allan Cooney: What I think about when I’m thinking about markets

Outgoing NAPCo CEO Allan Cooney, 20/08/2026

The Week in Beef - Podcast

Podcast: Saleyard prices up | Calls to delay EPBC | Why is fuel expensive again?

Eric Barker and Lydia Burton, 20/08/2026

Industry Dashboard

Carbon Trading Market

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

Today

Source: Jarden

$A / $US

Updated 7am daily

Today

0.7084

Source: NAB

ASX Market Index

21 Aug 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

142624

Source: MLA's NLRS

EYCI

Eastern Young Cattle Indicator, c/kg

Today

936.5

Source: MLA's NLRS

90CL Cow

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

Today

1068

Source: Steiner Consulting, MLA

Live Export

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

Today

440

Source: Trade contacts

SOI

Southern Oscillation Index (SOI)

Today

-27.88

Source: Australian Bureau of Meteorology

Feeder Steer

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

Today

482

Source: Feeder Steer

What readers are saying

Saleyards should be recognised and funded as nationally significant infrastructure

HI Matthew. The model actually makes the case for saleyards moving towards commercial models. You can't have a facility that generates millions in income competing for budget alongside the....

Charles Boog

Former NAPCo head Allan Cooney: What I think about when I’m thinking about markets

A very interesting and informative read, based on experience, not statistics.....

George Willows

Official reports tell different story on reef health to anti-beef activism campaigns

In a case like this where blatant lies are being advertised to the detriment of an entire industry our government must step up and demand the immediate removal of....

Jacqueline Curley

Weekly Property Review: What a $10m budget buys in different grazing country across Australia

This is all very interesting … however, the main question any investor in Grazing-lands should initially ask of themselves is … “How much land scale, at a minimum, in....

Michael Vail

Explainer: What is happening with fuel prices?

Eric Barker, 21/08/2026

Registrations open for MLA Updates in Townsville

Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA) has opened registrations for MLA Updates 2026, which will be held in Townsville on 24 November…Read More

Beef Central, 21/08/2026

Recruitment: The workforce has evolved: Is your approach keeping up?

Guest Author, 21/08/2026

Beef production smashes records as lamb and mutton slows in financial year 2025-26

Latest livestock processing data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics shows a record beef production volume for the year ended 30 June, increasing 8.6pc to a 2.985 million tonnes. Almost 9.6 million cattle were processed during the year, up 8.1pc, with quarterly production records set for the June quarter in NSW, Queensland and Victoria.
..Read More

Beef Central, 20/08/2026

Markets

Saleyard prices lift as rain builds across Southern Australia

After a steep decline in recent weeks, saleyard prices are again on the rise as numbers hit lowest point since February and rain continues to fall in Southern Australia…Read More

Beef Central, 21/08/2026

Charters Towers 19 August 2026: Prices lift with improved quality

Quality was mixed, comprising of some very pens of heavy bullocks and cows, mixed quality grown heifers and an increased supply of plain conditioned cows, supported by small mixed lines of young cattle…Read More

Nikki Nason, 21/08/2026

Dubbo sale 20 August 2026: Heavier feeders and cows up to 15c cheaper in smaller 2400 head yarding

Heavier feeders were up to 15c/kg cheaper in a smaller 2400 heard yarding at Dubbo yesterday…Read More

David Monk, NLRS, 21/08/2026

Dalby sale 19 August 2026: Declining numbers trend continues, as heavy cattle lift in value

Heavier cattle showed sone price increases, while lighter cattle were mostly cheaper in the absence of southern restocker interest in smaller yarding of 4100 at Dalby this morning ..Read More

Beef Central, 20/08/2026

Veteran leucaena researcher Dr Max Shelton recently completed a 1400km trip through Central Queensland to assess the establishment and management of the browse legume and to identify key issues affecting its adoption and use. Here’s what he found…Read More

Dr Max Shelton, 13/08/2026

Emerald agent takes out Qld Young Auctioneer Competition at 150th Ekka

Emerald based livestock agent Lachlan Spry has taken out the 2026 Queensland Young Auctioneers Competition at the Ekka. ..Read More

Lydia Burton, 05/08/2026

Qld Government to adopt recommendations from cattle tick review

The Queensland Government has announced changes to the state’s cattle tick management system for the first time in 10 years, following a review into an outbreak in the state’s tick-free zone earlier this year…Read More

Lydia Burton, 29/07/2026

Processing

Nuffield: Improving access to beef grading technology for smaller abattoirs

Third-generation processor Calian Byrnes has researched beef grading eating quality technology around the world to find ways for smaller processors to implement it…Read More

Lydia Burton, 20/08/2026

Weekly kill: Lower price trend takes a breather

After a series of downwards adjustments over the past six or eight weeks – producing falls of 70-80c/kg carcase weight in some regions – direct consignment slaughter cattle grids are mostly unchanged this week, with supply and demand in reasonable equilibrium…Read More

Jon Condon, 18/08/2026

Processors sound alarm on rising costs, deteriorating market access

As Australia’s agriculture industry celebrates a $100 billion production milestone, the country’s meat processors are warning the commercial viability parts of their sector may be seriously tested…Read More

Beef Central, 18/08/2026

Renders to focus on renewable fuels, global trade and sustainability issues reshaping the sector

With annual exports valued at about $1.5 billion, the Australian rendering industry is increasingly central to conversations around renewable fuels, circular manufacturing and sustainable livestock production. These and other topics will come together as the Australian Renderers Association holds its International Symposium in Melbourne next month. ..Read More

Beef Central, 18/08/2026

Lotfeeding

How a feedlot became the next step for a growing family farming business

James Nason, 21/08/2026

Three grand finalists named in Young Lot Feeder of the Year awards

Three outstanding young grainfed beef industry stakeholders have been named grand finalists for the Australian Lot Feeders Association’s Young Lot Feeder of the Year Award…Read More

Beef Central, 21/08/2026

Feeder cattle market: Grids down as more rain builds

Feeder cattle grids have continued to drop this week as supply increases and pressure mounts from processors who are selling into tough meat market…Read More

Eric Barker, 17/08/2026

Feedgrain Focus: North firms as cutting starts

Time is up for some struggling wheat and barley crops on the Downs, while in the south, yield prospects for many crops are looking stellar after recent rain…Read More

Liz Wells, 17/08/2026

Live Export

Livestock industry unites behind 10-year Live Cattle Growth Plan

Australia’s live cattle industry has united behind an ambitious 10-year blueprint to strengthen one of the nation’s most important agricultural industries…Read More

Beef Central, 18/08/2026

What’s in store for the live cattle trade for the rest of 2026?

During the Ekka last week, Beef Central asked several people close to the northern live cattle trade – Australian exporters, northern producers and Indonesian importers – what they see in store for the sector for the remaining five months of 2026…Read More

James Nason, 13/08/2026

Opinion: The other side of the trade

A recent visit to Indonesia showed Jessie Daniels what the live cattle trade means at the other end of the northern cattle supply chain…Read More

Jessie Daniels , 13/08/2026

Opinion: Over-charged, over-regulated and over it

The Australian National Audit Office’s (ANAO) damning audit of the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry’s (DAFF) biosecurity cost recovery program has severely eroded industry confidence in the department’s ability to deliver a fair, transparent and credible outcome through its current review of export cost recovery arrangements…Read More

ALEC CEO Mark Harvey-Sutton, 11/08/2026

Trade

Export cow beef prices continue to deteriorate, as trade winds blow

Prices for Australian export lean beef trimmings and cow beef used for burgers, tacos and other popular ground beef items have continued to deteriorate, as global beef trading conditions adjust to recent tariff headwinds…Read More

Jon Condon, 28/07/2026

Booming slow-cook BBQ movement explores fusion, secondary cuts

Some of the world’s most acclaimed competition BBQ chefs gathered in Brisbane for a Low & Slow BBQ festival on the weekend, attracting around 8000 meat-loving patrons. The talent on hand provided the perfect opportunity to get a handle on where the American BBQ movement is heading and what’s new…Read More

Jon Condon, 14/07/2026

Manufacturing meat markets under pressure, as Brazilian challenge mounts

There’s plenty of evidence of ‘tougher going’ on the export beef sales front as the new financial year unfolds – especially at the manufacturing meat end…Read More

Jon Condon, 10/07/2026

Aussie beef takes centre stage with Soccer World Cup TV coverage

Millions of people have had a taste of Aussie beef during the FIFA World Cup, with an Australian Beef ad campaign by MLA scoring goals across SBS’s coverage…Read More

Beef Central, 09/07/2026

Genetics

Queensland stud takes bull sale online with its own 24-hour platform

A long-established Queensland stud is trialling a different selling method for its 2026 bull sale, in which it will conduct the entire sale over a 24-hour period through its own online bidding platform…Read More

James Nason, 18/08/2026

Weekly genetics review: Are you breeding cows that your feedbase can support?

This week’s genetics review looks at whether breeding cows are matched to the feedbase available, drawing on the Sweet Spot, CashCow and Beef CRC research projects. It considers how cow size, body condition and feed requirements should be balanced with fertility and production when setting breeding objectives…Read More

Genetics editor Alastair Rayner, 18/08/2026

Is cattle gestation really 283 days?

While 283 days is widely accepted as the gestation length for beef cattle – regularly used for planning decisions – research has shown considerable variation based on breed, gender and other traits.
However, most producers also know that gestation can vary, with shorter and longer pregnancies occurring within most breeding herds…Read More

Genetics editor Alastair Rayner, 18/08/2026

Cattle producers set to gain from targeted genetics tech investment

The QLD Government has invested $2 million in a Brisbane-based cattle breeding technology startup through its Sowing the Seeds of Farming Innovation Fund. The investment in embryo transfer technology company Nbryo will enable the company to expand its technology to improve access to superior livestock genetics, reducing production costs and improving productivity for beef producers…Read More

Beef Central, 11/08/2026