04 Jul 2025
Australian Cattle and Sheep Markets Surge
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Australian Cattle and Sheep Markets Surge as Prices Hit New Highs
July 4, 2025 | Meatex News Desk
Australia’s cattle and sheep markets saw significant price increases in early July, with several indicators reaching record highs, according to the latest report from Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA)
Cattle Market Highlights
- The Feeder Steer Indicator rose by 20¢ to 417¢/kg liveweight (lwt), outpacing the Restocker Steer Indicator by 17¢.
- Heavy Steer prices also climbed, lifting 23¢ to 373¢/kg lwt, driven by limited supply and strong processor interest.
- Queensland recorded the largest price increase at 29¢, while New South Wales saw a more modest rise of 6¢.
- National cattle slaughter reached 158,922 head, the highest weekly total since December 2019, with Queensland leading the surge.
Sheep Market Highlights
- All lamb indicators hit record highs, except for the Mutton Indicator, which still approached its peak.
- The Heavy Lamb Indicator jumped 68¢ to 1,099¢/kg carcase weight (cwt), while the Trade Lamb Indicator rose 48¢ to 1,072¢/kg cwt.
- The Merino Lamb Indicator increased 73¢ to 936¢/kg cwt, with trade weights fetching up to $232/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.
Despite seasonal tightening in supply, strong demand from both restockers and processors continues to drive competition and price growth across the board.
Original data sourced from Meat & Livestock Australia
