Australian Cattle and Sheep Markets Surge
Australian Cattle and Sheep Markets Surge as Prices Hit New Highs – July 2025
The Australian cattle and sheep markets experienced a sharp rise in early July 2025, with several key price indicators reaching record highs. According to the latest report from Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA), strong processor demand and tightening supply are driving the surge across both sectors.
Cattle Market Highlights
The Australian cattle market posted significant gains across multiple categories:
- The Feeder Steer Indicator rose by 20 cents to 417¢/kg liveweight, surpassing the Restocker Steer Indicator by 17 cents.
- Heavy Steer prices increased by 23 cents to 373¢/kg liveweight, supported by limited supply and strong processor interest.
- Queensland recorded the largest price increase at 29 cents, while New South Wales saw a more modest rise of 6 cents.
- National cattle slaughter reached 158,922 head, the highest weekly total since December 2019, with Queensland leading the surge.
Sheep Market Highlights
The Australian sheep market also saw strong upward momentum:
- All lamb indicators reached record highs, with the Heavy Lamb Indicator jumping 68 cents to 1,099¢/kg carcase weight.
- The Trade Lamb Indicator rose by 48 cents to 1,072¢/kg carcase weight.
- The Merino Lamb Indicator increased by 73 cents to 936¢/kg carcase weight, with trade weights fetching up to $232 per head at Dubbo.
- Sheep and lamb yardings fell by over 19,000 head, and slaughter numbers dropped by nearly 92,000 due to processor maintenance shutdowns.
Market Outlook
Despite seasonal tightening in supply, strong demand from both restockers and processors continues to fuel competition and price growth. The Australian cattle and sheep markets are expected to remain firm in the short term, supported by favourable export conditions and limited global supply
Original data sourced from Meat & Livestock Australia
