AuctionsPlus

A substantial cloud band has generated high levels of rainfall across WA, not unusual as some suggest for this time of year, with this being the wettest time of year for pockets of western and southern WA south from the tropics, with fronts generating cloud bands. We are lucky this year they have shown up very late to bring welcome falls.

It’s that time of the week when we check in on some key indicators of performance in the livestock markets. The Eastern States Young Cattle Indicator (EYCI) lifted to 975.30c/kg cwt by Friday morning, an increase of 5.42c for the week and 143.24c for the month. It’s 266.82c higher than the same time last year. The National Young Cattle Indicator (NYCI), which reflects national markets and online transactions, also lifted this week, by 0.04c/kg to 517.92c/kg on Friday morning.

A Western Australian stock agent has chalked up a perfect sales record in her first two AuctionsPlus sales, with four lots of Moojepin Merino future breeder ewe lambs selling successfully at her most recent sale this week. Annabelle Broun, a trainee agent with Nutrien Ag Solutions based in Gnowangerup, completed her AuctionsPlus assessor accreditation earlier this year and has hit the ground running, achieving a 100% clearance rate across both sales she's participated in to date.

In this week's rural property update: Water-secure Western District powerhouse offered to market, Indigenous council secures iconic Riverina wetland stations and Atherton Tablelands farm with development potential hits market at $15.5 million.

Earlier this year Episode3.net looked at where Australia sat in the livestock cycle. At the time, the sheep sector looked to be slightly further advanced than cattle. The Sheep Turnoff Ratio (STR) had eased back toward levels that historically tend to be associated with stabilisation or the early stages of flock rebuilding. On that reading, the sheep industry appeared to be moving through the worst of liquidation and edging closer to recovery.

Reading some headlines on the future of cattle prices from a well noted analysts in one of my regular subscriptions I couldn't help but shake my head. "EYCI is likely to reach record levels in December this year". We'll they might and hopefully they do ... but making bold predictions like this without acknowledging the downside risks is not really analysis ... it is like cheerleading.

There hasn’t been a lot of fanfare, as prices have been strong for some time, increases are marginal, and the heavy end is lagging. The Eastern States Trade Lamb Indicator (ESTLI) hit a new record last week, with mutton also breaking new ground. Back in August 2025 the ESTLI hit a peak of 1231¢/kg cwt, marking the highest point for the indicator on record.Since then, we’ve seen the ESTLI weaken somewhat, but it has maintained extreme levels for all of the 2025-26 selling season.

The New World screwworm fly is threatening the United States' cattle industry for the first time in more than half a century. Two more cases of the New World screwworm have been confirmed hundreds of kilometres apart in Texas, demonstrating the difficulty of stopping the spread of a pest that could potentially devastate the cattle industry of the United States, the US Department of Agriculture says. The screwworm is a fly larva that eats living flesh instead of dead material.

Growing up in rural and regional Australia has many advantages. Services are often closer together, reducing time spent in transit; housing is generally more affordable than in major cities; and there is a strong sense of community that can be harder to find in more dispersed, metropolitan areas. However, it is also well known that access to some services, such as universities and various vocational educational training pathways is generally more limited.

What's making news this week. Australia has filled 81.44% of its beef safeguard quota with Korea and is approaching the limit of its China quota. Meat & Livestock Australia General Manager for International Markets Andrew Cox said the industry was actively engaging with key partners through established channels. "At the same time, a strong focus remains on diversifying export markets, growing demand across markets such as Southeast Asia, North Asia, North America, Middle East and Europe," he said.