Weekly cattle and sheep market wrap
23 May 2025
Key points:
- Reduced supply kicked up the cattle market across all indicators.
- Strong export lambs reached over 1,000¢/kg cwt.
- Cattle slaughter lifted to its highest throughput since December 2019.
Note: Flooding across the Upper Hunter and Mid North Coast has impacted supply of cattle and sheep through saleyards.
Cattle market
The cattle market lifted across all indicators largely due to maintained demand from buyers and a reduction in supply. National yardings eased by 25,000 head to 55,000 head yarded over the week. This is a near 50% reduction on numbers from two weeks ago. Reductions were seen in all states bar Tasmania.
Cow prices have lifted this week, countering a monthly reduction of 28¢ as export demand is reduced. The indicator price lifted 12¢ to 256¢/kg liveweight (lwt) over the week. Victoria saw the best performing cows, coming in 7¢ above the national price, with the state average at 263¢/kg lwt.
Demand for steers remained with heavy steers lifting 19¢ to 314¢/kg lwt, feeders lifted 11¢ to 378¢/kg lwt and restockers up 14¢ to 391¢/kg lwt.
Sheep market
The lamb market has bounced this week, driven by strong demand and a reduced supply. Lamb yardings eased 13% for 191,000 head nationally, after three weeks of very strong offerings, while sheep yardings eased 9% to 105,000 head. All states saw their combined sheep and lamb yardings ease.
Export lambs were in high demand this week, lifting the National Heavy Lamb Indicator 44¢ on last week, to a total of 902¢/kg carcase weight (cwt). Export demand drove this lift, despite a higher offering than last week, with some stock tipping the 1000¢ mark. NSW drove the national price as southern state struggle to offer high volumes of heavies. Trade lambs were pulled up from the heavy demand lifting 37¢ to 876¢/kg cwt.
Mutton kicked up once again and the instability of the market continues to change prices week-on-week. Prices were up 7¢ on last week to 570¢/kg cwt, driven mostly by processor demand.
Slaughter
Week ending 16 May 2025
Cattle
National cattle slaughter lifted 6% to 152,396 head over the week. This is the largest weekly slaughter since December 2019. Supply of cattle remains strong – entering into a strong global space has encouraged processor demand, lifting national capacity.
Weekly change by each state:
- NSW down 6% to 36,382
- Queensland up 14% to 78,329
- SA up 0% to 3,782
- Tasmania up 9% to 5,197
- Victoria up 5% to 26,170
- WA up 7% to 2,536.
Sheep and lamb
National lamb slaughter eased 3% to 506,598 head. Despite easing, numbers remaining above 5000,000 for a third week in a row reinforces the volume coming through to processors. The spike of mutton supply is now hitting processors as mutton slaughter lifted 11% to 198,854 head.
Weekly change in lamb slaughter by each state:
- NSW down 133,936 to -2%
- Queensland down 1,379 to 2%
- SA down 58,944 to -1%
- Tasmania down 11,604 to 0%
- Victoria down 244,964 to -3%
- WA down 55,771 to -8%.
Attribute to: Erin Lukey, MLA Senior Market Information Analyst
