The Week in Beef

Feeder cattle prices have continued their momentum this week, with the Darling Downs flatback feeder steer price reducing the 100c premium for Angus steers.
In this episode of The Week in Beef, we discuss how grids have risen this week, what that means for feedlot margins and why the numbers are lining up for lighter cattle to enter the feedlot.
Plus:
What will it take to get more Australian superannuation funds to invest in agriculture
Beef Central genetics editor Alastair Rayner gives an update on bull selling season
Timber Queensland CEO Mick Stephens talks about the opportunities for cattle producers to harvest timber
The number of the week looks at herd projections, price indicators and supporting livestock transporters

YOUNG cattle prices are continuing to rise at the saleyards, with the benchmark Eastern Young Cattle Indicator crossing 900c/kg for the first time since 2022.
In this week’s episode of the Week in Beef, we look at how the situation has changed from a mass sell-off of cattle from Victoria and South Australia at the start of the year to producers getting back in the market and pushing prices up.
Ray White Albury director James Brown gives an update on the season in the south
We chat about all the updates on deforestation pledges, from supermarket sustainability reports to hides heading to the European Union
Longreach producer Boyd Webb explains they there is some frustration with the way a locust outbreak has been handled
Number of the week looks at increasing beef consumption, weight loss in a recent snow storm and upcoming climate reporting
 

From plans to give every school student in Indonesia a free lunch, to a proliferation of high marbling beef brands, this episode of the Week in Beef shows the diversity of markets the Australian beef industry services.
The Australian live export industry is still trying to navigate the agenda of the new Indonesian Government, who has done away with beef quota and given plenty of signals that Australian cattle will be needed. On today’s episode:
James Nason discusses the bold plan to feed school children and explains how there is still uncertainty about permits
Australian Brahman Breeders’ Association president Reade Radel explains how a recent steer trial is opening new marketing possibilities for Brahman cattle
Jon Condon runs us through the development of high marbling beef brands and how processors have become more sophisticated on realising their value
And, the number of the week segment looks into the cattle on feed numbers, US Government pulling funding for solar panels on farmland and a growth in southern interest for Northern property.

From cattle in Brisbane to cotton in some of the most remote parts of Australia, this week’s episode of the Week in Beef is covering issues from across the country.
Debate has erupted about how much of Queensland’s Ekka cattle show should be put in front the crowds, with concerns raised about the show starting after the cattle have gone. Plus:
AAM managing director Garry Edwards talks about his plans for cropping in the north after a new cotton gin was opened in Kununurra
Beef Central publisher Jon Condon talks about a long-term trend towards increasing price volatility in the cattle market
We call for listeners to submit their number of the week, by leaving it in the comments section or emailing admin@beefcentral.com
The Week in Beef is brought to you by Rabobank

AS the beef industry descends on the Queensland capital this week, there was a sense of optimism among the crowd with a feeling that industry was going through one of those rare times where most ends of the supply chain were making money.
The Week in Beef podcast was there to capture the action on Ekka Beef week, including:
Rabobank analyst Angus Gidley-Baird on where the current rising market might be heading next
The winners of the Paddock to Palate awards and the Young Auctioneers competition
And Beef Central publisher Jon Condon gives an insight into the world’s largest grassfed beef program
The Week in Beef Podcast is brought to you by Rabobank, Australia’s Most Recommended Agri Bank 2025.

While a decision to loosen restrictions on United States beef imports has dominated headlines, this week’s episode of the Week in Beef delves further into some of the other issues impacting the beef industry.
Saleyard prices have reached their highest point in three years and processors are prioritising quantity over quality as they try to service the growing demand for ground beef in the US. And:
Wagga Wagga-based saleyards reporter Leann Dax explains the renewed optimism rain has brought to the Riverina
We wrap up the Australian Government’s decision to loosen restrictions on US beef with Agforce general president Shane McCarthy
Australian Country Choice CEO Anthony Lee explains the next step an industry-wide effort to get agriculture into classrooms
The Week in Beef Podcast is brought to you by Rabobank, Australia’s Most Recommended Agri Bank 2025.
 

From climbing cattle prices, to billion-dollar assets hitting the market and the Australian allowing beef imports from the United States, this week's episode of the Week in Beef wraps up the news of the past week.
Hosted by Lydia Burton and Eric Barker, The Week in Beef is Beef Central’s newest podcast, giving readers a quick roundup of what is making news on a weekly basis. Including:
Alarming statistics as Farm Safety Week puts near misses in the spotlight
Questions raised Australian Government allows the import of US beef
European ban on goods linked to deforestation on shaky ground
And, a proposal for a new abattoir in Central Queensland
The Week in Beef Podcast is brought to you by Rabobank, Australia’s Most Recommended Agri Bank 2025.

AS cattle prices continue to hold under a wave of increased supply from Queensland, this week’s podcast delves into what may be the trajectory of those prices in the coming months.
Hosted by Lydia Burton and Eric Barker, The Week in Beef is Beef Central’s newest podcast, giving readers a quick roundup of what is making news on a weekly basis. Incuding:
A catch up with StoneX Australian livestock manager Ripley Atkinson who says cattle prices are approaching their seasonal peak
Cattle Australia deputy chair Adam Coffey explains the next steps for the industry after abandoning its goal to be carbon neutral by 2030 – he also responds to criticism about the industry’s approach to methane emissions
Jon Condon questions the National Livestock Reporting Service's breed agnostic approach to cattle market reporting. (See separate item today)
And back by popular demand, the Beef Central team presents its numbers that they think are telling the stories of the week.
The Week in Beef Podcast is brought to you by Rabobank, Australia’s Most Recommended Agri Bank 2025.
 
 
 
 
 
 
Views expressed are for informational purposes only,  and not intended to be used for specific investment decisions. Ripley Atkinson, StoneX Australian Livestock & Commodities Manager. For more information, contact Ripley on 0427 417 803. StoneX Financial Pty Ltd (“SFA”) (ACN: 141 774 727) holds an Australian Financial Service
License and is regulated by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (AFSL: 345646).

This is the first episode of Beef Central newest podcast The Week in Beef, where journalists Lydia Burton and Eric Barker give you a quick and easy rundown of some of the Australian beef industry's biggest stories. This week, they disect the record beef exports that have been driving a big shift of cattle from the north of the country to meat processors in Victoria. They look at a review of the compulsory $5 cattle transaction levy and pick what they believe are the numbers defining the industry this week.