Key points:
- Despite high numbers through the saleyards, plainer cattle led to less interest from buyers.
- A decline in sheep numbers at Wagga was recorded leading into the Australia Day holiday.
- Combined sheep and lamb slaughter lifted by 7,390 to 674,475 head.
Cattle market
The cattle market generally eased except for the Dairy Cow Indicator. A total of 90,052 head were yarded this week, making it the second largest yarding in the last three years according to the NLRS.
Despite numbers rising over the past two weeks, there have been price fluctuations due to plainer types and fewer operating across feeder categories. This led the Feeder Steer Indicator to ease by 18¢ to 360¢/kg liveweight (lwt). NSW (-14¢) and Queensland (-38¢) experienced the largest price dips compared to the rest of the states.
Sheep market
The sheep market did not maintain the prices experienced at the end of 2024 and has eased this week. Combined sheep and lamb yardings eased by 110,751 to 285,330 head, with lamb yardings easing 47%.
The Light Lamb Indicator eased by 22¢ to 707¢/kg carcase weight (cwt). Despite prices in NSW only easing by 8¢, it contributed 54% of the indicator. Although there were fewer secondary lambs compared to last week (-8,908 to 51,100 head) at Wagga, there continues to be a group of drier and plainer types with less weight in the offering.
Slaughter
Week ending 17 January
Cattle slaughter for the start of the year remained strong, lifting by 24,339 to 132,886 head. Slaughter lifted in Queensland (17,919 head), Victoria (4,112 head) and NSW (2,521 head).
Combined sheep and lamb slaughter lifted by 7,390 to 674,475 head. Lamb slaughter eased by 13,202 to 457,511 head. Victorian and WA lamb slaughter eased significantly by 19,623 and 3,572 head respectively, while slaughter lifted by 6,437 (NSW), 471 (Queensland), 1,366 (SA) and 1,719 (Tasmania).
Sheep slaughter lifted by 20,592 to 216,964 head, with increases recorded in the majority of states except for Tasmania. Sheep slaughter lifted significantly in NSW (7,154 head), Victoria (5,823 head) and particularly WA (8,801 head).
Attribute content to Emily Tan, MLA Market Information Analyst
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