THERE’S been a sharp rise in direct consignment cattle offers from export beef processors as the 2025 slaughter season gets underway.
Many over-the hooks grid offers have lifted 20-40c/kg since the last transactions were made in December – although to be fair, some grids were ‘put to sleep’ by the middle of last month as requirements for the remainder of the 2024 year were met.
Some processors back then were taking space bookings only for the opening weeks of 2025, with prices to be negotiated closer to production date.
January is notoriously difficult to use as a gauge for broader slaughter cattle priced trends, however, due to the staggered seasonal start for many processors and prospects of rain disruptions making true supply and demand patterns difficult to define this early in the year.
Nevertheless, opening gambit offers seen this week are sharply higher, partly reflecting the boom in lean trimmings prices into the US (see separate story tomorrow).
In Queensland, competitive processors in the state’s southern region have offers of 650/kg on four-tooth heavy grass ox with pill (660c available on some grids for no HGP), and heavy cows 580c/kg. Those figures are up at least 20c and as much as 30c/kg on offers made during the closing stages of 2024. On a typical 300kg heavy cow, that’s worth an additional $90 a head.
Export beef prices for trimmings into the US have continued to push into record territory over the past fortnight, aided by favourable currency (see today’s separate story). That has strongly supported slaughter cow prices during the opening stages of 2025.
Some Queensland plants are on a soft start this week, operating at partial capacity only, while others are yet to return to work for the 2025 season.
One contact suggested it won’t be until week commencing 3 February, after the Australia Day long-weekend, that a real picture emerges about 2025 slaughter cattle price trends, demand and supply.
If previous years where weather patterns have been similar are any indication, many Queensland producers will hold out as long as possible before offloading stock in the early part of the year to optimise weight, only to run into congestion problems around April/May.
The general feeling is that national weekly processing capacity this year may tap out at around 150,000-155,000 head, a small increase on last year, but still limited by labour challenges, despite the strong beef sales opportunity that lays ahead.
Further south, direct consignment grids have also lifted this week compared with the final stages of 2024, often by 20c/kg or more.
Grids for kills in southern regions of NSW have offers this week of 670c/kg on four-tooth ox and 610c/kg on cows, while eastern regions of South Australia have offers of 670c on grass ox and 620c/kg on good heavy cows. – both up 20-40c on December rates.
Feeders have also followed the market higher this week, with direct consignment offers on heavy flatbacks delivered Downs this morning at 390c/kg and 400c/kg for Angus. Some isolated offers (unconfirmed) have crossbred steers at 400-410c.
Saleyards signals
Saleyards have produced volatile results for the first few sales of 2025, with skyrocketing cow prices in some centres last week (up to 330c/kg liveweight in places) falling back to earth a little in some sales earlier this week. Other sales yesterday and today have remained very strong.
Gunnedah sale this morning saw a sharp increase in numbers to 3650 head. Export processor demand was strong for heavy grown steers and well finished heavy grown heifers with trends dearer throughout. Increased supply minimised improvement in the cow market with market trends generally firm. Heavy cows +520kg averaged 300-308c.
Wodonga yarded 2600 this morning for the first sale of 2025. The export market was well supported, with several buyers vying for the younger, well-finished steers. Prices improved 20c-23c on last year’s December market. Heavy steers and bullocks sold from 336-384c/kg. Cows sold to spirited bidding, with heavy lineskeenly sought. Heavy cows sold from 296-321c, with leaner grades less than 520kg at 255-295c/kg.
Naracoorte sale this morning yarded 2100, with a marked decline in value on slaughter cows compared with last week, with plenty of sales around 260-280c/kg.
The first Roma sale for the year this morning yarded almost 5000 head. A preliminary report (full report published tomorrow) suggested the market was dearer for most descriptions sold by the time the report was published. Lightweight yearling steers under 200kg made from 402-514c/kg. Yearling steers 200-280kg sold from 368-518c/kg. Yearling steers 280-330kg back to the paddock also topping 518c/kg. Yearling steers 330-400kg made to 450c to feed and 486c/kg to restockers.Yearling steers 400-480kg to feed topped 422c/kg. Lightweight yearling heifers under 200kg topped 350c/kg. Yearling heifers 200-280kg sold from 270c for the plainer types and up to 368c/kg for the better lines. Yearling heifers 280-330kg made to 378c and averaged 358c/kg. Yearling heifers 330-400kg also topped 378c/kg to restockers. Grown steers 400-500kg sold to 370c/kg. Grown steers 500-600kg sold from 288-370c/kg for the better types. A small number of bullocks over 600kg made 340c/kg. Another large yarding of prime cows penned and sold to dearer trend. The 2 score cows 400-520kg sold from 206-278c/kg. The 3 score cows topping 321c and sold from 280c to average 302c.
Why is WA never featured in any reports? Can we please have saleyard and grid prices for WA reported in the same way that eastern states results are?
Because of how shallow the buying pool for slaughter cattle is in WA, we’ve found it hard to access WA direct consignment grids in the past, Mark. We’ll try to have another go this year. Editor