Weekly cattle and sheep market wrap

05 Dec 2025

Key points

National cattle yardings dropped 22% to 81,928 head after last week’s exceptionally high numbers.
All major cattle indicators softened week-on-week, despite tighter supply.
Light lambs were in demand for return to southern paddocks.

Cattle market

National cattle yardings fell 22% to 81,928 head after the previous week’s high of 103,794 head. This was fuelled by attractive market prices for producers and anticipation of the market’s end-of-year break. The sharpest volume decline was in NSW, dropping 25% (down 11,834 head). Queensland followed with a 27% decline (down 8,968 head) and Victoria (down 1,088 head). SA (+11%) and Tasmania (+13%) lifted. Despite the yarding reductions, prices could not be sustained and all indicators softened week-on-week (WoW).

The National Processor Cow Indicator declined 4¢ to 389¢/kg liveweight (lwt). This category was least affected by the softening market and was supported by consistent processor demand and active southern buyers in northern markets.

The National Restocker Yearling Heifer Indicator fell to 406¢/kg lwt, continuing its decline from the recent high of 442¢/kg two weeks earlier. Increased offerings in Queensland pushed prices down but sufficient demand absorbed available supply and good quality pens sustained prices.

Sheep market

National sheep yardings dropped 18% (to 100,648 head) and while lamb yardings have been elevated over the past two weeks, they also fell 21% to 229,972 head. The reduced supply supported price lifts in mutton categories but lamb indicators eased under selective buyer interest.

The National Mutton Indicator lifted 18¢ to 770¢/kg carcase weight (cwt). With a drop in national sheep yardings (down by 18,927 head), buyer competition intensified, particularly for well-finished heavy sheep. Northern buyer participation at Wagga contributed to firmer results for higher quality lines.

The Heavy Lamb Indicator fell 25¢ to 1,082¢/kg cwt due to the 3,786 head WoW yarding increase and strong buyer interest for lighter categories − particularly in the 18−24kg category − for return to southern state paddocks.

Slaughter

Week ending 28 November 2025

Cattle slaughter

National cattle slaughter eased 1% (to150,177 head) but was still 5% above the 2025 weekly average. Most states reduced between 1% and 2% WoW, except for SA (-6%) and WA was the only state to increase (+2%).

State-by-state breakdown of cattle slaughter:

NSW: down 1% to 35,798
Queensland: down 2% to 76,586
SA: down 6% to 3,632
Tasmania: down 1% to 4,888
Victoria: down 1% to 25,218
WA: up 2% to 4,055.

Sheep slaughter

National sheep and lamb throughput eased 2% to 600,454 head but maintained a volume above 600,000 head for the third consecutive week. This decline was driven by a 21% fall in WA and a 13% drop in SA. Victoria, however, offset some of the interstate declines, lifting 5% WoW (up to 280,997 head) − its highest throughput since June 2025.

National lamb slaughter eased 2% (to 411,960 head), driven by WoW drops in WA (-26%) and SA (-10%). Victoria’s new season lamb flush continued with throughput increasing 5% to 227,712 head – the highest since June 2025. Victoria was the only state with weekly slaughter higher than the year’s average.

Sheep slaughter decreased 1% (to 188,494 head) but was 12% above the 2025 weekly average. Victorian (+6%) and NSW (+1%) slaughter increased but not enough to offset declines in WA (-11%) and SA (-22%) for the national figure.

State-by-state breakdown of lamb slaughter:

NSW: up 1% to 97,174
Queensland: down 3% to 1,253
SA: down 10% to 38,032
Tasmania: up 5% to 5,541
Victoria: up 5% to 227,712
WA: down 26% to 42,248.

Attribute content to: Emiliano Diaz, MLA Market Information Analyst

Information is correct at the time of publication on 5 December 2025.

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