Prices for all livestock categories fell significantly this week in saleyard selling, according to Meat and Livestock Australia, which puts the fall down to the summer heat wave across southern parts pushing additional numbers onto the market and lowering average quality.
MLA reports that with most Queensland cattle abattoirs having re-commenced operations, numbers in that State jumped 80pc this week.
And while northern Queensland continues to receive excellent monsoon rains, the south is drying out and some producers appear to be content to grab money on offer now for fear of further price falls.
Meanwhile, MLA says export markets for beef remain weak due to continued problems with credit and stocks and fear of demand falls.
These problems, and the resultant absence of substantive buying from Korea or Russia, continue to delay the anticipated lift in sales and prices of Australian beef arising from the competitive Australian dollar.
The timing of the re-emergence of Korea and Russia, and associated lift in prices from Japan and the US, is most uncertain, but could commence by March/April, MLA says.
While lamb markets also took a fall this week, it was not unexpected as they are coming off record levels for this time of the year and all prime lamb regions are suffering the hot/dry conditions.
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