All cattle market indicators dropped, with the Restocker Yearling Heifer Indicator the best performer of the week. Cattle yardings eased by 3,129 to 97,326 head but still marked the fourth largest weekly yarding of the year.

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.

National cattle yardings eased 6% (down 5,105 head) to 81,428. Dalby saleyards stood out with its largest yarding in five years. Most indicators softened after last week’s long-term highs, but prices remain well above historical averages. Heavy steer prices are still only 10¢ under historical records. Steady yardings and strong weekly slaughter point to solid demand from processors and restockers.

All cattle indicators improved this week, however, those for finished trim and lean meat fared softer than the feeder steer and restocker markets.

The cattle market was strong this week with all indicators up except for the cow category. Robust buyer activity aligned with good quality yardings, contributing to the lift.

Rainfall along the east coast improved producer sentiment, resulting in a 7% decline in national cattle yardings to 58,162 head. Yardings are now 27% below the 80,278 head seen in mid-October. Victoria recorded the sharpest week-on-week (WoW) decline, falling 32%, followed by Queensland (-11%) and WA (-5%). In contrast, NSW increased 12% after a low yarding the previous week.

The cattle market is green across the board with the Restocker Yearling Steer Indicator lifting the most – up 22¢ to 468¢/kg liveweight (lwt) and the Feeder Heifer Indicator up 17¢ to 414¢/kg lwt. Cattle yardings eased by 8,223 to 59,994 head.

National cattle yardings fell 24% to 60,760 head. Victoria posted the sharpest decline (-38%), followed by NSW (-22%), and Queensland (-16%). The supply ease followed the strong 80,278 head of the previous week, which was the highest yarding since May.

Weekly US beef buyer summary