Near half of Australian ranchers sold fewer animals than planned

New data from the July 2025 Beef Producers Intensions Survey (BPIS) showed 46% of Australian cattle producers sold fewer animals than planned, highlighting ongoing challenges facing the livestock industry, MLA said.

One of the most common reasons for lower sales was that cattle weren’t ready. Over 40% of producers said their cattle hadn’t reached sale weight, largely due to tough seasonal conditions – especially in southern regions. Limited pasture availability and rising feed costs meant many producers were forced to delay sales.

Weather and feed issues weren’t the only contributing factors. Anticipation of better market conditions was also given as a reason producers held onto cattle. Approximately 21% chose to delay selling because they believed prices would improve, while another 17% reported that prices at the time weren’t strong enough to justify selling. Meanwhile, 14% of producers had fewer cattle to sell than expected – a flow-on effect of earlier production decisions and seasonal impacts.