Home - Beef Central

MLA’s $300m operating budget for 2024/25: How will it be spent?

Industry service delivery company Meat & Livestock Australia has released its annual investment plan for the 2024-25 year ahead. The report (click here to access) proposes expenditure of just short..Read More

Jon Condon, 28/06/2024

Carbon

CA addresses key questions about its deforestation definition

Cattle Australia has addressed some key questions about its definition of deforestation in the Australian context, highlighting how it is adapting international definitions of forest to Australian land management practices…Read More

Eric Barker, 28/06/2024

Carbon

Denmark to bring in $144.5/head methane tax

Denmark has become the latest country to make plans for taxing livestock methane emissions – with the Government making a deal with its local dairy industry to implement a $144.5 (672 krone)/cow/year tax by 2030…Read More

Beef Central, 27/06/2024

Weather

Below average July rainfall likely for Australia’s far south

July to September rainfall is likelyto be above average for the West Coast and Pastoral regions of SA, extending into south-east WA, and the southern NT; and along isolated parts of southern coastal NSW, according to the Bureau of Meteorology’s latest seasonal climate outlook…Read More

Beef Central, 28/06/2024

The Weekly Grill

S4 Ep 21: Australian Wagyu Association CEO, Matt McDonagh

In this week’s Weekly Grill podcast, host Kerry Lonergan turns up the heat on Wagyu boss Matt McDonagh, discussing the opportunities and challenges facing the Wagyu industry in Australia, where breeders are placing their genetic selection emphasis and the impact as greater numbers of Wagyu feeders occupy valuable pen space for long periods in Australian feedlots ..Read More

Beef Central, 28/06/2024

News

Rural Press Club of Qld July lunch: Meat red meat’s new chief

In one of his first major industry engagements since taking over as Meat & Livestock managing director in late May, Michael Crowley will address a Rural Press Club of Queensland lunch in Brisbane on Wednesday, July 17…Read More

Beef Central, 25/06/2024

Recruitment

Recruitment: AMPC’s “More to Meat” advertising attracting candidates to meat processing careers

The Australian Meat Processor Corporation’s (AMPC) latest round of advertising as part of its More to Meat campaign has recently wrapped up before it recommences later in the year…Read More

Beef Central, 28/06/2024

News

ANZ’s $4.9b acquisition of Suncorp Bank approved by Treasurer

Federal treasurer Jim Chalmers has approved ANZ’s acquisition of Suncorp’s banking business after it was originally knocked by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission…Read More

Beef Central, 28/06/2024

Aussie smart ear tag making inroads into major beef markets around the world

What does ABS’s 4m herd size adjustment mean for the beef industry?

Beef Central, 27/06/2024

Live Export

One Teal turns away from live sheep ban, while others go after live cattle exports

Eric Barker, 27/06/2024

News

Are Australian cattle at risk from bird flu?

James Nason, 27/06/2024

News

Great Aussie Charity Cattle Drive fundraising off to a gallop

Beef Central, 27/06/2024

Production

Weaning an ideal time to vaccinate for tick fever

Beef Central, 27/06/2024

Industry Dashboard

Carbon Trading Market

Aust. Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs) - $/tonne of CO2 equiv.

Today

34.25

Source: Jarden

$A / $US

Updated 7am daily

Today

0.6647

Source: NAB

ASX Market Index

30 Jun 2024 (updated 10am daily)

Company	Price	Trending
Elders	$8.96
Australian Agricultural Co	$1.52
Graincorp	$7.29
Ridley	$2.12
Woolworths	$36.64
Wellard	$0.06

Source: ASX

Beef Kill

Eastern States, weekly

Last Week

142162

Source: MLA's NLRS

EYCI

Eastern Young Cattle Indicator, c/kg

Today

581.1

Source: MLA's NLRS

90CL Cow

Imported 90CL cow beef price. Landed US, Ac/kg CIF

Today

912.6

Source: Steiner Consulting, MLA

Live Export

Live export feeder steer prices ex Darwin (c/kg liveweight)

Today

300

Source: Trade contacts

SOI

Southern Oscillation Index (SOI)

Today

3.52

Source: Australian Bureau of Meteorology

Feeder Steer

NLRS-reported yards (feedlot buyers only); 0-600kg, 0-2T, c/kg LW

Today

325.3

Source: Feeder Steer

What readers are saying

Choice finds big supermarket retail price differences between ALDI and ‘the others’

My take on Unpacking the Grocery Basket: Beyond the Headlines You have done a far better job than the ABC in trying to un muddle the smoke and mirrors from....

Glen Feist

Choice finds big supermarket retail price differences between ALDI and ‘the others’

Great article Good to see Aldi has MSA graded beef and taking advantage of hybrid vigour and optimising use of grass/ grain availability in supply chain. Price check on Coles....

Greg Popplewell

UQ tick vaccine trials show promise

50+ yrs ago as a 3rd vet student in 1971, I spent my Xmas vacation working in a CSIRO cattle tick research group that had the goal of developing....

Lee Fitzpatrick BVSc

Weekly kill: Some grids retract further, as supply continues to grow

Why do Processors pay 5c/kg less for Heifers than Steers? What is the rationale for the price variance? It's based on meat yield, Wayne. By and large, heifers do....

Wayne Harch

MLA’s $300m operating budget for 2024/25: How will it be spent?

Jon Condon, 28/06/2024

Rural Press Club of Qld July lunch: Meat red meat’s new chief

Beef Central, 25/06/2024

Recruitment: AMPC’s “More to Meat” advertising attracting candidates to meat processing careers

The Australian Meat Processor Corporation’s (AMPC) latest round of advertising as part of its More to Meat campaign has recently wrapped up before it recommences later in the year…Read More

Beef Central, 28/06/2024

ANZ’s $4.9b acquisition of Suncorp Bank approved by Treasurer

Federal treasurer Jim Chalmers has approved ANZ’s acquisition of Suncorp’s banking business after it was originally knocked by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission…Read More

Beef Central, 28/06/2024

Markets

Dalby sale 25 June 2024: Southern export operators active

Light weight yearling steers to restockers could not maintain the levels of the previous week while the medium and heavy weight feeders improved in price…Read More

Trevor Hess, 27/06/2024

Roma store sale 25 June 2024: Yarding lifts to 8274 head

Despite the quality offering prices continue to soften this was most notable in the secondary lines however the cows went against this trend to show an improvement…Read More

Beef Central, 19/06/2024

Wagga sale 24 June 2024: Heavy export cattle scarce

The big standout was the scarcity of heavy export types, contrasted with plenty of lighter weight steers and heifers under 300kg…Read More

Leann Dax, 24/06/2024

Price trends mixed in larger 16,839 head AuctionsPlus offering

End of financial year may have had some bearing on a larger AuctionsPlus offering on Friday, where 16,839 head were listed, up 11pc on the previous week. The larger offering was met with mixed competition as clearance fell to 52pc. Prices were up and down across different steer and heifer categories, with no clear trend evident…Read More

Beef Central, 24/06/2024

Grassland conference to sort fact from fiction

The Grassland Society of Southern Australia’s (GSSA) annual conference will help farmers sort fact from fiction when it returns to Bendigo for the first time in more than 25 years…Read More

Beef Central, 03/06/2024

Better pre-calving nutrition boosting health outcomes in northern cattle herds

Improving nutrition a few weeks before calving is successfully boosting health outcomes for both calves and breeders under challenging grazing conditions in Northern Australia. The Calf Alive project is trialling ways to overcome the impacts of poor diet and heat stress on beef properties in North Queensland and the Northern Territory…Read More

Beef Central, 31/05/2024

Long-forgotten 1970s-80s pasture trial sites delivering new industry legacy

A network of long-forgotten legume pasture trial sites scattered across southern QLD is delivering a tremendous new legacy for the beef industry. Five new stylo varieties have resulted from some clever detective work – firstly in re-discovering long-lost pasture trial sites – and secondly in analysing their performance for valued traits such as persistence and frost tolerance…Read More

Jon Condon, 23/05/2024

Processing

Weekly kill: Grids continue to slide as northern supply lifts

The general trend in direct consignment grid pricing in northern regions is down this week, as supply pressure continues to mount, in the face of processing labour capacity limitations…Read More

Jon Condon, 25/06/2024

Red Meat R&D Update: Extracting kokumi – the new umami – from red meat

Kokumi, the sixth taste sensation after sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and umami, is the subject of a new AMPC research program. Kokumi is a feeling which can be described as perceived richness and roundness that heightens the other five tastes and prolongs their flavour…Read More

Beef Central, 19/06/2024

Weekly kill: Cold snap pushes numbers forward

The onset of the first full blast of winter and the showing of jack frost this week has pushed more slaughter-ready cattle to market, especially in more northerly regions. The impact has been grids falling up to 20c/kg in places..Read More

Jon Condon, 18/06/2024

Meatworks ‘small fry’ study big beef

Owners and operators of some of Queensland’s smallest meatworks picked up tips from one of Australia’s largest family-run complete beef supply chains last week…Read More

Beef Central, 17/06/2024

Lotfeeding

Feedgrain Focus: Prices drop as south’s season gains ground

Winter cereal prices have dropped by up to $20/t in the past week in response to softer global markets, welcome rain in SA and Vic, and transfers out of warehousing…Read More

Liz Wells, 24/06/2024

Research working towards redefining how feedlot methane emissions are predicted

Recent research has shown that a 1979 vintage equation used to determine the levels of enteric methane emissions from feedlot cattle may overestimate the numbers…Read More

Beef Central, 18/06/2024

Feedgrain Focus: Southern dry boosts local demand

Dry conditions in SA and western Vic have boosted demand for feed barley to lift up-country prices above weakening export values…Read More

Liz Wells, 17/06/2024

Consumer expectations, animal welfare and innovation feature in info-packed BeefEx feedlot conference program

Consumer expectations, animal welfare and the standoff between renewable energy infrastructure and food production will feature among the hot topics being explored at this year’s biennial BeefEx 2024 grainfed beef industry conference being staged in October…Read More

Beef Central, 11/06/2024

Live Export

One Teal turns away from live sheep ban, while others go after live cattle exports

With the live sheep ban passing the house of representatives and heading for the senate, members of the crossbench have started the campaign against live cattle exports…Read More

Eric Barker, 27/06/2024

Live sheep export bill passes House of Representatives

Legislation to ban live sheep exports by seas on 1 May 2028 has passed the House of Representatives today, with the sheep industry now focused on getting a Senate inquiry into the trade phaseout and shoring up any crossbench support for the Senate vote tonight…Read More

Terry Sim, 26/06/2024

Southern live export update: No signs of China upturn in sight

A leading exporter of southern cattle to China says the trade has fallen away considerably this year and may not recover until 2025 at the earliest…Read More

James Nason, 19/06/2024

Northern live export update: Vietnam shipments boost May trade

Australia exported 79,302 cattle in May, marking the highest monthly total for the year to date…Read More

James Nason, 18/06/2024

Trade

Imported trimmings prices rise in the US, but discounts over US domestic beef remain near record high

There’s been a moderate improvement in imported manufacturing beef prices into the US over the past fortnight, however a near-record large discount still applies between imported and domestic US product…Read More

Beef Central, 24/06/2024

Stronger beef exports underpinning domestic wholesale market prices

Higher levels of beef export activity are helping insulate the domestic Australian wholesale beef market from winter price falls, contacts in the wholesale trade have told Beef Central this morning…Read More

Jon Condon, 19/06/2024

May beef exports hit highest monthly number since 2019

Growing international demand for Australian beef as US production slows, combined with higher rates of beef production in Australia have pushed May export volume to levels not seen since the 2019 period when drought herd liquidation was in full swing…Read More

Beef Central, 05/06/2024

Meat freshness labels could replace use-by dates

Patches that change colour as raw meat freshness deteriorates in sealed refrigerated products could soon become a reality on supermarket shelves, making it easier for shoppers to know if it’s still good to eat and reducing food waste…Read More

Beef Central, 29/05/2024

Genetics

Former RMAC chief executive appointed new CEO of Herefords Australia

One of the nation’s most senior red meat industry leaders has been appointed to take over the role of chief executive officer at Herefords Australia Limited…Read More

Beef Central, 26/06/2024

Weekly genetics review: Putting your bull team to the test

MLA’s recent Beef Producer Intentions Survey shed some interesting light on the population of herd bulls across northern and southern Australia. The results also draw attention to the need to assess the suitability of current herd bulls, before spring bull selling season starts ..Read More

Genetics editor Alastair Rayner, 25/06/2024

Weekly genetics review: Determining who’s who among the ‘Duds’ and ‘Studs’

Given all the focus on finding the real ‘studs’ durring the upcoming bull sale season, it’s not unsurprising that cattle producers often forget that genetic improvement can also be achieved by identifying the ‘duds’ in a herd. Genetic progress is achieved not only by the introduction of new animals with higher genetic merit – it also requires a degree of intensity in the selection of breeding females. ..Read More

Genetics editor Alastair Rayner, 18/06/2024

Bull Fertility: What’s a fair & reasonable ask?

With the Spring bull selling season soon to launch, photos of fat, sappy Angus bulls with captions like ‘depth & consistency’, ‘slick coated’ and ‘easy doing’ are about to flood social and print media, says Guyra bull breeder Sally White. But amidst the marketing glitz and glamour, be mindful that fertility is way more important than all of the above put together when it comes to profit, she says…Read More

Beef Central, 18/06/2024

Ag Tech

Artificial intelligence is being trained to monitor cattle

DAF and Infarm have collaborated to create a prototype automated camera system to detect cattle and monitor their condition using advances in machine vision and artificial intelligence.
..Read More

Beef Central, 03/06/2024

Study takes sky-high approach to animal welfare in WA

Researches learned that drones could be very effective and efficient, increase biosecurity, reduce work health and safety risks, and reduce stress to the animals…Read More

Guest Author, 12/04/2024

50pc rebates for smart farming tech available through $30 million On Farm Connectivity Program

Applications are open for Round 1 of the Albanese Government’s new On Farm Connectivity Program (OFCP) to increase the uptake of agtech to boost productivity, growth and sustainability of Australia’s primary producers…Read More

Beef Central, 11/12/2023

Sunshine Coast business wins Ag category award at Innovate with nbn 2023

A company helping butchers to monitor the cooking and cooling temperatures of all cooked/dried products was named as the Agriculture category winner of the 2023 Innovate with nbn Grants Program awards announced last night in Sydney…Read More

Beef Central, 27/11/2023

AgProperty Central

Kimberley’s Kalyeeda EOI to end 25 years for the Camp family

Offers above $30 million are likely for Western Kimberley region breeding and growing property Kalyeeda, being offered to the market after 25 years of ownership by Peter Camp and family…Read More

Beef Central, 26/06/2024

Weekly property review: Recently completed sales

Property editor Linda Rowley, 26/06/2024

Movement at the station: Recent property listings

Scale in NSW’s New England | Historic Werris Creek property offers diversity | Ogilvie family lists two picturesque northern NSW holdings | $10m for a slice of Tamworth history | Qld’s Thomson River holding lists after 100 years..Read More

Property editor Linda Rowley, 26/06/2024

Carbon markets: Are all carbon projects’ ACCUs worth the same?

ARE all carbon projects’ ACCUs worth the same? The answer may not be as simple as what some assume – the market for properties subject to carbon projects is still relatively immature, and as the market matures it is expected that clear market trends may emerge, HTW says…Read More

Bart Bowen and John Gunthorpe, HTW, 26/06/2024