Regional Cattle Markets Wrap: Southern Markets Transition to Seasonally Tight Supply
Australian cattle markets are shifting from a forced turnoff in the south to a seasonally tight supply environment. Over the past few years, southern breeding herds have been cut by 20‑30%, constraining feeder and slaughter‑weight cattle for the next two years. Prices in NSW and Queensland have firmed by 20‑30 c/kg as turnoff eases, while beef exports are up 16% driven by China and Korea, though upcoming safeguard tariffs could curb demand by July. Meanwhile, weakening US beef consumption and Tyson’s projected $500 m loss signal reduced appetite for premium beef, prompting Australian feedlots to shorten feeding cycles and pivot to domestic markets.
Inland Rail Halted North of Parkes as $45B Cost Revealed
The Australian government has placed an indefinite hold on Inland Rail work north of Parkes after an independent review lifted the total Brisbane‑to‑Melbourne cost to about $45 billion (≈$30 bn USD) and projected a ten‑year timeline. To date $14.5 billion (≈$9.6 bn USD) in...
Farmers Welcome $10 Billion Fuel Security Package
Australia's Albanese government will allocate more than AUD 10 billion (≈ USD 6.6 bn) in the upcoming federal budget to a Fuel Security and Resilience package. The plan funds a AUD 7.5 bn (≈ USD 5 bn) Fuel and Fertiliser Security Facility, creates a government‑owned reserve of about one billion...
April Beef Exports Soar to +140,000t, Led by Vigorous US, China Trade
Australian beef exports rose to 140,943 t in April, an 11% year‑on‑year increase and just shy of March’s near‑record level. The United States remained the top destination with 41,174 t, while shipments to China slipped 10% month‑on‑month to 29,583 t but were still...
Lifts in Steer and Heifer Values in Smaller 16,219 Head AuctionsPlus Offering
AuctionsPlus reported a 28% smaller offering of 16,219 head, yet clearance surged to 81%, up 19 points week‑over‑week. Steer and heifer categories posted double‑digit price gains, with lighter steers rising 41c to 511c/kg and heifers climbing 66c to 435c/kg. Northern...
New Market Access to Indonesia for Five Export Meat Plants
The Australian government announced approval for five additional export beef plants to ship boxed beef to Indonesia, with one facility also cleared for sheep and goat meat. The plants, located in Queensland, Tasmania and Victoria, expand the halal red‑meat supply...
S6 Ep12: May Market Update – La Niña, Diesel Shortages and a Record Cow Sell-Off
In the latest Weekly Grill episode, Matt Dalgleish and Chris Howie dissect how the Bureau of Meteorology’s La Niña forecast is tightening feed supplies across Australia. A record sell‑off of cattle in New South Wales has surged market activity, while diesel...
Challenging Logistics Year for Australia’s Most Highly-Awarded Beef Brand
Stockyard Beef’s Kiwami Wagyu clinched the 2026 Brisbane Show grand‑champion branded‑beef award, marking its seventh overall win and reinforcing its status as Australia’s most decorated beef brand. The victory came despite severe logistics headwinds, including the Strait of Hormuz closure...
Two More Early Qld Beef Roads Projects Underway
Construction has begun on two priority projects under Queensland's $500 million (≈$330 million USD) Beef Corridors Program, aiming to seal about 200 km of unpaved roads in Central Queensland. An early‑works package of $47.5 million (≈$31 million USD) will seal up to 20 km across five...
Recruitment: Deciphering Australia’s Agricultural Job Market, Region by Region
Australia’s agricultural labor market is shifting from manual to tech‑enabled roles, according to specialist recruiter Agricultural Appointments. Victoria leads with 26% of national ag employment and the broadest range of positions, while New South Wales follows with 25% and strong...
Grazing Software Delivers Value From the Get-Go for Producers
Jess Collyer and her husband Bruce bought a 50‑hectare, steep‑incline block near Kingaroy and turned to Atlas Grazing to plan fencing, water points and herd placement. The software’s mapping and scenario‑planning tools let them visualize fence lines and water locations on...
Red Meat Tops List of Domestic Food Price Inflation Items
Australia’s March CPI showed headline inflation jump to 4.6% year‑on‑year, the fastest pace since September 2023. Red‑meat prices, led by beef and lamb, surged 11.8% and were the biggest driver of food‑price inflation, while coffee rose 10.7%. Overall food inflation held...
New Genetic Test More Accurate for Poll Selection in Brahmans
Neogen, licensed from UniQuest, launched the Guarani Poll genetic test for Bos Indicus cattle, targeting a poll variant common in Australian Brahman herds. Based on University of Queensland research, the assay detects the presence or absence of the Guarani poll allele,...
AI Could Reshape “Almost Every Aspect” Of Red Meat Processing
Dr Cameron Ralph, General Manager of Research, Development and Adoption at the Australian Meat Processor Corporation (AMPC), says artificial intelligence will soon touch almost every facet of red‑meat processing. AMPC’s pilot AI‑enabled monitoring system now captures welfare metrics for calves,...
Revised NHVR Master Code of Practice Offers Practical Support for Stock Transport
The National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) has launched a revised 2026 Master Code of Practice aimed at improving safety in livestock transport. The code consolidates fragmented guidance into a single, industry‑focused document that details hazards, risk controls, and safe access...
Regional Bank Alliance Calls for Urgent Fix to Branch Closures Crisis
The Regional Banking Investment Alliance (RBIA), representing 24 regional banks and community groups, has urged the Australian banking sector to adopt a bank‑funded cost‑sharing model that would restore face‑to‑face branch services in regional and remote areas. The alliance says branch...
Gunnedah 28 Apr 2026: Cow Prices Cheaper, Feeders Lift in Smaller Offering
The Gunnedah saleyards auctioned 6,500 cattle on April 28, 2026, about 1,300 fewer than the previous week but maintained strong quality across all categories. Young cattle to trade rose roughly 40 cents per kilogram, reaching about $2.90 USD/kg for steers and $2.86 USD/kg...
Weekly Kill: NSW Cow Liquidation Now Close to Exhaustion – What Happens Next?
Cattle producers in drought‑hit northern NSW and southern Queensland have largely exhausted the regional turn‑off, with yardings at Dubbo, Gunnedah and Roma falling 1,800‑2,600 head week‑on‑week. Processors anticipate a new wave of Queensland cattle entering the market from September‑October as...
Coalition Would Boost Australia’s Fuel Reserve to 60 Days
The opposition coalition proposes raising Australia’s minimum fuel reserve to 60 days, adding at least one billion litres of storage through an $800 million Fuel Security Facility focused on diesel. Current reserves sit at 44 days for petrol, 33 days for...
Feeder Cattle Market: Grids Down as Big Numbers Kick In
Feedlots in eastern Australia are fully booked weeks ahead as large feeder cattle from drought‑hit northern New South Wales and Queensland arrive. Buyers are quoting flat‑back steers over 400 kg at 440–460 c/kg (≈ $2.9‑$3.0 USD/kg), about 10 c lower than a week ago, while...
Brazil Trials Show Additive’s Methane-Reducing Impact in Beef; Low-Methane Wool Launch
Minerva Foods and Australian feed‑additive maker Rumin8 completed a 120‑day trial on Brazil’s largest cattle breed, Nelore, showing a 50.4% cut in enteric methane and a 5% boost in feed conversion efficiency. The bromoform‑based additive lowered methane intensity from 77.2 g kg⁻¹...
Supermarkets Must Help Farmers Keep Food Moving as Fuel Costs Bite
NSW Farmers' vice president Bec Reardon warned that soaring diesel prices are inflating transport costs for dairy, fruit and vegetable producers, eroding farm profit margins. She argued that farmers cannot pass these expenses onto shoppers, risking financial strain across the...
Feedgrain Focus: Growers Hold as Dry Concerns Spread
Australian wheat and barley prices have firmed as a modest winter crop outlook in northern New South Wales pushes buyers southward. Indicative prices are now $277‑$284 USD/t for Downs barley and $226‑$231 USD/t for Melbourne barley, reflecting an $80 USD/t spread to the...
Japan Wagyu Leader Outlines Fat Quality Shift and Free-Range Production Push
Shikishima Farm, Japan's largest integrated Wagyu operation, is pivoting from traditional marbling scores to a focus on lipid quality, especially monounsaturated fats. The company, which raises about 11,000 Japanese Black cattle, is trialing a next‑generation, fully free‑range production model in...
The Skills Crisis in Australian Meat Processing and Why Experience Alone Can’t Fix It
Australian red‑meat processors are confronting a deepening skills shortage that threatens plant efficiency and regional economies. While seasoned planners and floor staff remain vital, high turnover is exposing knowledge gaps that slow decision‑making and inflate costs. Industry leaders argue that...
Big 25,180 Head Online Catalogue Includes 61pc From Seasonally-Challenged Northern NSW Region
AuctionsPlus listed 25,180 head of cattle on Friday, with 61% of the inventory coming from the seasonally‑challenged northern NSW region. Steer prices showed modest gains, with the 200–280 kg class averaging 536 c/kg (≈$0.035 USD/kg) and the 280–330 kg class edging up to 506 c/kg....
Tropical Breed Gestation Length ‘79pc Heritable’: Study
Australian researchers have quantified gestation length in three tropical beef cattle breeds, finding a direct heritability of 79 percent, indicating strong genetic control. Brahman, Droughtmaster and Santa Gertrudis cows average 291.5, 288.2 and 285.1 days respectively, with male calves gestating up...
S6 Ep10: Wagyu Edge 26 – Australia’s Rise From Niche to Global Powerhouse
The Weekly Grill podcast visited Wagyu Edge 26 in Brisbane, where AWA President Laird Morgan and CEO Matt McDonagh discussed Australian Wagyu’s rapid ascent from a niche product to a global premium beef brand. They highlighted a 45% year‑over‑year export surge in...
Fuel, Fertiliser, Freight – What the F Is Going On?
The Rural Press Club of Queensland is hosting a lunch on May 1, 2026 to examine severe disruptions in fuel, fertiliser and freight supply chains caused by the Middle East conflict, the Russia‑Ukraine war, and a fire at one of...
Recruitment: Four Things New Employees Want to Know About a Business Before They Start
The article outlines four key areas new hires want to understand before joining an agribusiness: core values, company culture, management style, and the team. It stresses that transparent communication helps candidates gauge fit and reduces mismatched hires. This guidance applies...
Water Troughs Could Become Frontline Defence in Early Disease Detection
A new study by Charles Darwin University’s Research Institute for Northern Agriculture shows that environmental nucleic acid (eNA) testing of cattle water troughs can detect bacterial and viral signatures linked to livestock disease. The research compared four sampling methods—syringe, cartridge,...
Podcast: Wagyu Branded Beef Winners | Pain Relief Tips | Who Will Buy Mort & Co?
The Week in Beef podcast highlighted the sale of Mort & Co, Australia’s largest private lot‑feeding operation, to Jon Condon, marking a major shift in the beef supply chain. A surprise winner emerged in the Australian Wagyu branded‑beef competition, underscoring...
Former Minerva WA Abattoir Assets Come to Market
Two mothballed Western Australian meat‑processing facilities—Great Eastern near Tammin and Shark Lake near Esperance—have been placed on the market through an expressions‑of‑interest campaign managed by Colliers. The Great Eastern abattoir, which closed in 2022, is export‑registered for lamb, mutton and...
Weekly Genetics Review: The C Word We Shouldn’t Avoid
Australian beef producers are urged to embed consistency in both management and genetics to ensure superior cattle appear each generation. The article stresses defining measurable breeding objectives—pregnancy within four months, a calf per cow annually, and average weaner weight—as the...
New NatureLedger for Better Decisions on Managing Vegetation
AgCarE has launched NatureLedger, a bespoke dataset that delivers farm‑specific maps, clearing histories and biodiversity risk assessments to help Australian producers comply with the revised EPBC Act and tap into carbon‑biodiversity markets. The service consolidates publicly available data into a...
AWA Board to Review Cloning and Associated Regulation in Beef Cattle
The Australian Wagyu Association (AWA) announced a board‑level review of genetic cloning practices and the regulatory framework governing them in the beef sector. The review, prompted by member requests, will examine FSANZ policies, international import rules, and the implications for...
Weekly Kill: Further Slides in Direct Consignment Rates, as Congestion Starts to Appear in Kill Rosters
Direct‑consignment cattle rates across eastern and southern Australia slipped another 5–20 cents per kilogram this week, driven by a mix of supply‑side factors and rising fuel and material costs. Processors in Queensland are already booking kill slots for May, while southern...
Morven BeefUp Forum: The Surprising Beef Products Appearing as the Protein Trend Gains Pace + PICS
The Morven BeefUp forum highlighted a surge in beef‑centric products, from collagen‑infused coffee to whole‑organ blends, as consumers chase protein‑rich, whole‑food options. MLA’s Sabina Kindler noted U.S. households will spend roughly US$1,000 more on meat in 2025, driven by a...
Plant Based Meat Giant Beyond Meat Continues to Spiral Downwards
Beyond Meat posted a dismal fourth‑quarter, with revenue falling 19.7% year‑over‑year to $61.1 million and gross margin shrinking to 2.3%. Gross profit plunged to $1.4 million, while a $548 million non‑cash debt‑restructuring gain inflated net income to $410 million, masking an adjusted pre‑tax...
People on the Move: Appointments, Retirements, Achievements
The beef and broader livestock supply chain announced a series of high‑profile appointments and recognitions. Jason Woolhouse, formerly chief innovation officer at Hume Bank, takes over as CEO of the RMA Network, while Grain Producers Australia named Duncan Bremner its new...
Feeder Cattle Market: Heavy Cattle Weighing Down Northern Prices
Feeder cattle prices slipped this week as a weakening cyclone moved into northern Queensland and southern regions faced their first cold snap. Flat‑back steers on the Darling Downs fell to 450‑470 c/kg, a 10 c drop, while Angus steers stayed steady around...
Build the Rumen. Build the Return.
Early rumen development is critical for cattle lifetime performance, influencing growth, feed conversion, and carcass outcomes. Milne Feeds' Early Weaner pellet program trains calves on pellets for 4‑5 days, providing protein and energy to establish rumen function without a complex...
Govt Announces New Savanna Burning Carbon Methods, Beef Herd Replacement
The Australian federal government introduced two new savanna‑burning carbon farming methodologies and commissioned Meat & Livestock Australia to rebuild the beef‑herd methodology, which will credit methane‑reduction measures such as feed additives. The new methods reward early‑dry‑season burns to prevent larger...
Calling for Applicants for the Northern Beef Leadership Initiative
Angus Australia, together with the Northern Territory Cattlemens Association and Teys Australia, has launched the 2026 Northern Beef Leadership Initiative, dubbed “Find Your Northern Edge.” The five‑day, fully‑hosted program runs October 26‑30 in Queensland and will bring 12 young stakeholders aged...
Recruitment: Graduate Programs Provide Valuable Insight Into Agribiz Career Paths
National Australia Bank’s Agribusiness Graduate Program helped Connie Burls shift from a seven‑year teaching career to a management role in rural banking. After completing a postgraduate agribusiness qualification, she joined the January 2025 cohort, receiving a four‑month rotation in the Goulburn...
Albanese Says Additional Fuel Slated for Regional Areas
The Australian federal government announced a deal with Ampol and Viva Energy, backed by Export Finance Australia, to underwrite additional fuel purchases. The underwriting gives Canberra the authority to direct shipments to regional areas where spot‑market shortages have crippled distributors....
S6 Ep9: How Global Conflict Is Shaping Australia’s Rural Property Market
In a recent "Weekly Grill" episode, Colliers Agribusiness’s Rawdon Briggs and independent valuer Will McClay examined how the Middle East conflict is reshaping Australia’s rural property market. They highlighted resilient beef and cropping sectors, pressure on horticulture, and the influence...
Wagyu F1 Feeder Prices Settle Around 520-530c/Kg, Despite Climate of Uncertainty
Australian Wagyu feeder cattle prices have remained remarkably stable, with F1 × Angus steers trading around 520‑530 cents per kilogram despite the looming 55% tariff on beef exports to China and ongoing Middle‑East tensions. Supply‑chain surveys show higher‑grade F4‑Purebreds at 540‑570 c/kg and full‑bloods...
Dubbo Sale 9 Apr 2026: Yarding Lifts to 7700, as Restocker and Slaughter Types Soften in Price
The Dubbo cattle sale on 9 April 2026 posted a yarding of 7,700 c/kg (≈$51 USD/kg), the highest level in the past two weeks. Prices for prime vealers and yearlings ranged from 362‑500 c/kg ($2.4‑$3.3 USD/kg), while feeder steers and heifers traded 380‑529 c/kg and 316‑484 c/kg respectively....
Queensland Moves to Fast-Track Australia’s First New Oil Field in 50 Years
Queensland announced a fast‑track plan to develop the Taroom Trough, the nation’s first new oil field in five decades. Shell is already producing about 200 barrels of crude per day, which is refined locally into diesel. The state government is...