Weekly cattle and sheep market wrap
02 May 2025
Key points:
- Restocker steers lifted above 400¢, its highest price since January.
- Volatility continues in the mutton market, with the indicator jumping to 625¢.
- Long weekends impacted slaughter throughput due to reduced processor operations.
Cattle market
There was strong growth across all cattle indicators as demand returned after the long weekends. Yardings are now back in line with the weeks before the disrupted sales over the past fortnight. Cattle yardings lifted over 150% to 77,073 head, the sixth largest throughput this year.
Male cattle, represented by the Restocker Steer, Feeder Steer and Heavy Steer indicators, lifted and re-corrected after low processor demand reduced prices last week. This week, the re-correction drove restocker steers to their highest price since early 2025, up 25¢, tipping 407¢/kg liveweight (lwt). Demand from processors to fill chains in a full processing week influenced both the heavy and feeder markets, both lifting 21¢ and 11¢ to 361¢/kg lwt and 386¢/kg lwt, respectively.
Restocker heifers remained relatively flat, moving just 2¢ to 328¢/kg cwt. This lack of movement was mainly due to the indicator not dipping through the short weeks and staying stable at a price very close to the highs seen in January.
Sheep market
There were some interesting movements in the sheep market this week, with strong increases for mutton and the opposite for restocker lamb (the only indicator to fall in price).
Sheep and lamb yardings lifted dramatically as saleyards played catch-up after the long weekends. Sheep yardings doubled (reaching 117,851 head) and lamb yardings lifted 150% to 228,629 head. This resulted in a combined yarding of 346,480, the fourth largest this year.
The National Mutton Indicator lifted dramatically across all states, with national prices up 63¢ to 625¢/kg carcase weight (cwt). Elevated lamb prices, paired with strong export demand for product, will influence what is seen in saleyards.
Restocker lambs eased 4¢ to 806¢/kg cwt, a market movement that closely reflects confidence. With minimal relief across eastern and southern states, producers turn to a realistic view of their future carrying capacity.
Slaughter
Week ending 25 April 2025
Slaughter results were impacted by the Easter and ANZAC long weekends as most processors were operating at a reduced capacity during the three-day work week.
Cattle slaughter
National cattle slaughter was down 34% on the previous short week to 79,870 head. All states saw a decrease in slaughter:
- NSW down 44% to 15,341
- QLD down 33% to 41,304
- SA down 39% to 2,276
- TAS down 25% to 3,042
- VIC down 21% to 15,600
- WA down 22% to 2,307.
Sheep slaughter
Lamb processing reduced dramatically, with national figures down 23% to 320,845 head. Sheep slaughter was down 30% to 111,656 head. Lamb throughput across all states was down:
- NSW down 21% to 85,569
- QLD down 22% to 1,063
- SA down 25% to 34,865
- TAS down 29% to 7,476
- VIC down 23% to 155,171
- WA down 25% to 36,701.
Attribute to: Erin Lukey, MLA Senior Market Information Analyst
