Home - Beef Central

Mandatory rules around meat definitions needed, inquiry told

Multiple examples of consumers being confused by non-meat products labelled with meat descriptors and imagery have been shared with senators conducting an inquiry into labelling this morning…Read More

James Nason, 16/09/2021

Processing

ACCC raises vertical integration issues over JBS’s Rivalea pork deal

The ACCC has outlined its preliminary competition concerns about JBS Australia’s proposed acquisition of the Rivalea pork supply chain business in a statement of issues published today…Read More

Beef Central, 16/09/2021

Processing

Red meat R&D: Advancing red meat sustainability

The Australian Meat Processor Corporation has a strong sustainability agenda and has highlighted a recent study that shows meat processing plants produce zero food waste. AMPC has also recently launched two services to help its members apply for sustainability grants and assess solar energy options…Read More

Beef Central, 16/09/2021

News

Satellites tracking NT feral buffalo

Space-based technology is being used to track and manage feral cattle and buffalo in the Northern Territory…Read More

Beef Central, 16/09/2021

Property

Weekly property review: South Australian grazing land attracting interstate interest

This week’s property review looks at the state of play in the grazing land market in South Australia, where there has been a significant rise in listings of ‘station country’ in the region over the last 12 months – often viewed as ‘affordable’ compared to other areas further east, and for the first time attracting considerable interstate interest…Read More

Property editor Linda Rowley, 15/09/2021

Production

WA set to relax border controls after new Johne’s Disease detections

Western Australia is on the cusp of deregulating management of Johne’s Disease, bringing it into line with other Australian States and Territories, following the confirmed detection this week of the cattle strain of the disease in a herd in South west WA…Read More

James Nason, 15/09/2021

News

Diesel prices increase 27c in 2021, pushing transport fees higher

Diesel prices have been increasing for most of this year, causing rises in fees charged by some large livestock transporters…Read More

Eric Barker, 15/09/2021

Opinion

Opinion: Our climate future is in our hands

Mark Howden, ANU, 15/09/2021

Trade

McDonald’s re-introduces Wagyu burger to premium lineup

Beef Central, 15/09/2021

News

Beef 2021 event records estimated $800,000 loss

Beef Central, 15/09/2021

Genetics

Is it possible to select cattle for higher rates of twins?

Jon Condon, 14/09/2021

Weather

Weekly rainfall update + rain outlook 15 September 2021

Bureau of Meteorology, 15/09/2021

Markets

Roma store sale 14 Sep 2021: Western Qld cattle boost yarding

Beef Central, 15/09/2021

Production

WA set to relax border controls after new Johne’s Disease detections

James Nason, 15/09/2021

Trade

McDonald’s re-introduces Wagyu burger to premium lineup

Burger chain McDonald’s has today reintroduced the Wagyu Beef Burger to its deluxe offering, after a two-year absence. The company says it has secured about 170 tonnes of F1 Wagyu trim from more than 100 Australian properties for the limited-time offer, which sets a new high-water mark for the company’s burger prices…Read More

Beef Central, 15/09/2021

Processing

Weekly kill: Sharp grid price rises flush-out slaughter cattle

Last week’s dramatic – in some cases, record – price rises for direct consignment slaughter cattle in Queensland has had the desired effect, flushing out some solid bookings for spaces leading into the end of September and beyond…Read More

Jon Condon, 14/09/2021

Live Export

SE Asia Report: COVID, prices bring sharp trade slowdown

The combination of COVID impacts on incomes in Indonesia and cattle prices rising further in Australia is creating an exceptionally difficult commercial environment for the trade, with shipping companies for the first time in some years finding it difficult to find a customer for their next voyage, writes Dr Ross Ainsworth, currently in Manilla. ..Read More

Dr Ross Ainsworth, 13/09/2021

News

Beef 2021 event records estimated $800,000 loss

The Beef Australia 2021 industry event held in Rockhampton in May has recorded an estimated $800,000 financial loss. The event attracted record crowds through the gate and strong corporate support, despite the considerable challenges presented by COVID…Read More

Beef Central, 15/09/2021

News

Kay’s Cuts: Industry optimism and challenges intertwine

Like their colleagues in Australia, North American beef producers are well accustomed in dealing with good news/bad news scenarios, Steve Kay writes in his September Kay’s Cuts monthly column for Beef Central. Severe drought conditions have returned to much of the western half of the North American continent and are impacting everything from beef cow prices and liquidation to crop prices, while at the same time, consumers and wholesale beef demand in the US and around the globe are at 30-year highs…Read More

Steve Kay, 13/09/2021

Property

Weekly property review: South Australian grazing land attracting interstate interest

Property editor Linda Rowley, 15/09/2021

Genetics

Bull sales start at upgraded Central Qld yards complex

Spring bull sales have started at a new selling, weighing and dipping facility in the Central QLD town of Rolleston after it was purchased by a group of locals in 2019…Read More

Eric Barker, 14/09/2021

Genetics

Is it possible to select cattle for higher rates of twins?

Is it possible to select beef cattle for high rates of twinning? A small but enthusiastic group of cattle producers in western Victoria have been exploring this challenge for the past 16 years, with considerable success. One herd saw 53pc of mature cows scanned for twins this year, and equally impressively, 33pc of first-calf heifers…Read More

Jon Condon, 14/09/2021

Processing

ACCC raises vertical integration issues over JBS’s Rivalea pork deal

The ACCC has outlined its preliminary competition concerns about JBS Australia’s proposed acquisition of the Rivalea pork supply chain business in a statement of issues published today…Read More

Beef Central, 16/09/2021

Industry Dashboard

$A / $US

Updated 7am daily

Today

0.7310

Source: NAB

ASX Market Index

17 Sep 2021 (updated 10am daily)

Company	Price	Trending
Elders	$12.56
Australian Agricultural Co	$1.45
Graincorp	$6.52
Ridley	$1.33
Woolworths	$39.58
Wellard	$0.11

Source: ASX

Beef Kill

Eastern States, weekly

Last Week

93459

Source: MLA's NLRS

EYCI

Eastern Young Cattle Indicator, c/kg

Today

1029

Source: MLA's NLRS

90CL Cow

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

Today

825.6

Source: Steiner Consulting, MLA

Live Export

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

Today

415

Source: Trade contacts

SOI

Southern Oscillation Index (SOI)

Today

4.76

Source: Australian Bureau of Meteorology

Feeder Steer

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

Today

498

Source: Feeder Steer

What readers are saying

McDonald’s re-introduces Wagyu burger to premium lineup

Enjoyed one of the first to be supplied in Darwin today.....

Val Dyer

Is it possible to select cattle for higher rates of twins?

Admiration to Leo Cummins for pursuing a very fertile population of cattle. We still have a long way to catch up to twinning rates in sheep in the better....

Alex McDonald

Weekly genetics review: Financial progress through genetic selection

Both comments below are very pertinent and they are absolutely correct....

Greg Brown

WA set to relax border controls after new Johne’s Disease detections

Knock me over with a feather! WA Ag authorities have continued to deny the existence of Bovine Johne's for decades whilst producers opted to bury animals exhibiting Johne's-like symptoms....

Peter Vincent

Mandatory rules around meat definitions needed, inquiry told

James Nason, 16/09/2021

Satellites tracking NT feral buffalo

Space-based technology is being used to track and manage feral cattle and buffalo in the Northern Territory…Read More

Beef Central, 16/09/2021

Diesel prices increase 27c in 2021, pushing transport fees higher

Diesel prices have been increasing for most of this year, causing rises in fees charged by some large livestock transporters…Read More

Eric Barker, 15/09/2021

Opinion: Our climate future is in our hands

In the lead-up to the Farmers for Climate Action virtual conference this Friday, Professor Mark Howden, Vice-Chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, shares his perspective on why If the world stays on its current high emissions trajectory it will be terrible news for agriculture…Read More

Mark Howden, ANU, 15/09/2021

Markets

Roma store sale 14 Sep 2021: Western Qld cattle boost yarding

Competition remained strong for quality cattle with steers and cows mostly improving, while heifers eased in places…Read More

Beef Central, 15/09/2021

Online numbers ease 12pc, while competition remains fierce

Overall supplies contracted this week through AuctionsPlus commercial cattle sales, with the 16,920 head offering down 12 percent on the previous week. Unsurprisingly, the competition for the reduced numbers was fierce, especially though the heavier young heifer lines and mid-weight steers, as price movements through the proven breeding lines was again subject to bloodlines and vendors expectations…Read More

Beef Central, 12/09/2021

Dalby sale 8 Sep 2021: Market firm for 4783 head

Isolated falls of rain in western areas over the weekend restricted the flow of stock into early week markets, however by mid week little to no rain across eastern districts increased the number of cattle into the market…Read More

Beef Central, 09/09/2021

Roma store sale 7 Sep 2021: Smaller yarding to kick off Spring

Buyers continue to compete strongly for quality cattle, which saw an increase in top end prices for steers, however average prices eased across the steers and heifers due to quality variations…Read More

Beef Central, 08/09/2021

Production

WA set to relax border controls after new Johne’s Disease detections

James Nason, 15/09/2021

Registrations open for Daly Waters Beefup Forum

Northern Territory beef and live export industry stakeholders will have the chance to catch up on latest research and technology outcomes relevant to their region at a BeefUp Forum planned for Daly Waters on the Barkly Tableland in November…Read More

Beef Central, 14/09/2021

Methane-reducing feed additive Bovaer approved for use in cattle in Brazil and Chile

Cattle producers in Brazil and Chile will be the first in the world to gain access to a new methane-reducing feed additive which has also been successfully trialled in Australia…Read More

James Nason, 10/09/2021

Monitoring mealybugs part of best-practice management for dieback

Where there is pasture dieback, there are usually mealybugs. That’s the message from QUT researchers who are investigating the pasture mealybug, Heliococcus summervillei, as a causal agent of dieback. Lead researcher, associate professor Caroline Hauxwell delivered a webinar on the topic as part of MLA’s Productivity & Profitability series on Wednesday…Read More

Beef Central, 31/08/2021

Processing

ACCC raises vertical integration issues over JBS’s Rivalea pork deal

The ACCC has outlined its preliminary competition concerns about JBS Australia’s proposed acquisition of the Rivalea pork supply chain business in a statement of issues published today…Read More

Beef Central, 16/09/2021

Red meat R&D: Advancing red meat sustainability

Beef Central, 16/09/2021

Weekly kill: Sharp grid price rises flush-out slaughter cattle

Jon Condon, 14/09/2021

Red meat R&D: 5G trial for Aussie red meat processing plants

The Australian Meat Processor Corporation has partnered with technology company Bondi Labs to secure government funding for a trial of 5G-enabled technology to improve the quality assurance process of meat production. The funding will implement streaming of high-definition video data from meat processing plants for use by on-plant vets and food safety meat assessors, and augment human decision-making based on video stream data, using edge computing as well as artificial intelligence-enabled machine vision analysis of meat production..Read More

Beef Central, 09/09/2021

Lotfeeding

Feedgrain Focus: Prices drop on selling pressure, offshore lead

Prices for wheat and barley have taken a tumble in the past week to reflect a surge in grower and trade selling and a downtrend in Northern Hemisphere cereal values…Read More

Liz Wells, 10/09/2021

ABARES forecasts record winter crop production

Improved yield outlooks for Australian wheat, barley and canola have lifted national production prospects by up to 20pc from June figures, according to the latest ABARES data…Read More

Grain Central, 07/09/2021

COVID challenges push feedlot industry’s SmartBeef conference online

The grainfed beef industry’s SmartBeef 2021 Conference program has been shifted online, due to ongoing COVID challenges…Read More

Beef Central, 06/09/2021

Feedgrain Focus: Export push lifts northern wheat

Concerns about a wet early harvest in eastern Australia have exporters unusually active on the last of this season’s wheat and barley, as domestic consumers keep buying to a minimum now that new crop is within sight in the north…Read More

Liz Wells, 06/09/2021

Live Export

Questions surround future of LGAP

Questions have been raised about the future of a livestock export industry-developed global animal welfare assurance program which has yet to be implemented, despite having received $8.3 million in Commonwealth funding to support its introduction four years ago…Read More

James Nason, 14/09/2021

10 years of ESCAS underpinning the Australian Live Export Industry

The Australian livestock export industry, in partnership with Australian livestock producers and the Australian Government, have invested significant time and funding into the development of LGAP, and remains committed to its goals writes ALEC CEO Mark Harvey-Sutton…Read More

Mark Harvey-Sutton, Australian Livestock Exporters’ Council, 14/09/2021

SE Asia Report: COVID, prices bring sharp trade slowdown

Dr Ross Ainsworth, 13/09/2021

Nominations open for Livestock Exporter Young Achiever award

Nominations are now open for the 2021 Australian Livestock Exporters Council and Nutrien Ag Solutions Livestock Exporter Young Achiever award, which comes as ALEC and Nutrien announce a new three-year corporate partnership .
..Read More

Beef Central, 13/09/2021

Trade

McDonald’s re-introduces Wagyu burger to premium lineup

Beef Central, 15/09/2021

Indonesia halts beef imports from Brazil

The Indonesian government has placed a hold on beef imports from Brazil while awaiting further information from Brazilian officials about the two atypical BSE cases confirmed after testing last week…Read More

Beef Central, 09/09/2021

Competitor watch: Argentina extends beef export ban by two months

Argentina has extended its tight restrictions on beef exports until the end of October, as the country seeks to rein-in domestic inflation and surging domestic beef prices…Read More

Beef Central, 02/09/2021

What will Argentine beef export limitations mean for the global beef market?

Restrictions on beef exports out of Argentina – the world’s fifth largest exporter of beef – could have a significant impact on the global market, according to Rabobank’s latest global Beef Quarterly report…Read More

Guest Author, 26/08/2021

Genetics

Is it possible to select cattle for higher rates of twins?

Jon Condon, 14/09/2021

Weekly genetics review: Financial progress through genetic selection

This week’s genetics review extends the discussion on breeding timelines to highlight the importance of not expecting massive measurable change from new genetics in a herd, and that producers wanting greater profitability should also focus on strategic decisions to complement existing genetics while their new genetic selections are built into their herd…Read More

Genetics editor Alastair Rayner, 14/09/2021

Is cattle selection for longevity a viable proposition?

Can – or perhaps more importantly, should – beef producers select cattle for longevity in the herd? ..Read More

Genetics editor Alastair Rayner, 14/09/2021

Bull sales start at upgraded Central Qld yards complex

Spring bull sales have started at a new selling, weighing and dipping facility in the Central QLD town of Rolleston after it was purchased by a group of locals in 2019…Read More

Eric Barker, 14/09/2021

Ag Tech

What producers should check before investing in agtech

Founding director of the Australian Agtech Association, Andrew Coppin, offers a check-list that producers should follow before investing in agtech..Read More

Andrew Coppin*, 01/09/2021

Agtech: Understanding the value of on-farm sensors connected through low orbit satellite

A recent MLA research project sought to prove that adoption of reliable internet of things (IoT) networks could provide value to the livestock industry. The resounding feedback from participants in the project was that they see the highest level of value from IoT in the ability to remotely monitor water supply points (troughs and tanks) across their properties, as well as near-real time tracking of their livestock…Read More

Beef Central, 17/08/2021

What will the ag tech farm of the future look like?

The time is fast-approaching when farmers will be operating their businesses fully underpinned by automation, artificial intelligence and real-time data…Read More

Neil Lyon, 14/06/2021

What’s the secret to boosting ag tech adoption on Australian farms?

Developing ag tech products that save farmers time and money, securing venture capital and applying effective marketing strategies hold the key to increasing the adoption of ag tech by the agricultural sector…Read More

James Nason, 07/06/2021

Property

Weekly property review: South Australian grazing land attracting interstate interest

Property editor Linda Rowley, 15/09/2021

Weekly property review: Recently completed sales

Notable Victorian holding makes $35m+ | Record $26,000/ha for Upper Murray grazing | South west QLD exclusion-fenced property makes $15.5m | Collinsville’s Desmond Station makes $4.6m at auction..Read More

Property editor Linda Rowley, 08/09/2021

Movement at the Station: Recent property listings

Property editor Linda Rowley, 08/09/2021

Weekly property review: Smart operators seeking out carbon potential

A spike in interest for properties with carbon projects, or the potential for them, is perhaps the biggest hint so far that it may just be a matter of time before capturing carbon is calculated more seriously into the value of Australian grazing land…Read More

Property editor Linda Rowley, 01/09/2021