Australian cattle slaughter reached 166,000 head last week, marking the highest weekly adult cattle slaughter recorded since 2015, according to NLRS data. Queensland led the increase, with processing volumes rising by 6,000 head compared to the previous week.
The elevated slaughter pace continues to support expectations for record Australian beef production in 2026. At the same time, cattle yardings totaled 73,000 head, remaining above the average of the past two years but well below the April peaks, when weekly yardings exceeded 107,000 to 113,000 head.
Despite the lower throughput compared to April highs, cattle prices have remained firm, reflecting strong demand and historically high processing activity.
In the sheep sector, lamb slaughter totaled 400,000 head, while adult sheep slaughter reached just 96,000 head, the fourth-lowest weekly adult sheep slaughter recorded over the past two years. Sheep and lamb yardings also remained subdued, well below typical seasonal levels and year-ago volumes.
Source: MLA
