RAIN across most of Queensland over the weekend appears to have done little to feedlot grids this week, with prices mostly steady across the Eastern Seaboard.

Wonga Plains Feedlot.

While the rain has been somewhat patchy across Qld, it has delivered water to some areas that were desperately needing it. It has also cancelled or postponed some direct consignments and stopped tomorrow’s Roma sale.

Feedlot buyers who spoke to Beef Central this morning were quoting 400kg+ flatback feeder steers on the Darling Downs between 480-500c/kg. One Angus quote in the north was given for 490c/kg.

In the south, Angus prices were being quoted at 490c/kg and one crossbred quote was given at 460c/kg.

Beef Central was unable to contact as many people in the market as usual, so the number of quotes contributing to this report is smaller than normal.

Rain impact still unknown

The impact of the recent rain event is still unknown, with more rain on the forecast in the coming days. The cancellation at Roma might also have an impact in the coming weeks.

Big parts of Northern New South Wales have missed out on the latest rain, which is where a lot of the feeder cattle have been coming from in recent weeks.

Numbers lifted at the Tamworth saleyards to 3746, with a reduced number of heavy feeder steers on offer. Meat & Livestock Australia Tamworth reporter David Monk said the dry seasonal conditions were the main reason for the uptick in numbers.

Many feedlots of are booked forward a long way, with one southern buying telling Beef Central that he was taking bookings this week for March.

While the majority of cattle are coming from NSW, they are still coming forward in the north. One feedlot buyer told Beef Central that strong weight gains in Central Qld have been bringing cattle to weight quicker than first thought.

MLA’s saleyard-based feeder steer indicator opened this week at 463c/kg, with the 400kg+ range sitting at 467c/kg.

Forward contracts see particpation into October

StoneX meat and livestock manager Ripley Atkinson said there had been participation in the forward contracting tool right through to October, with a slight softening over time.

“The StoneX Feeder Cattle Swap contract continues to see active participation across markets into October 2026 – with trades being booked in a range of $4.55 to $4.80 out to July 2026. Since the previous update, bid/ offer spreads have both softened and tightened as market participation expands and realistic price expectations firm. Bids & offers on the front month contracts (<4 months) remain comparable to current spot prices, whilst further out into mid year, remain in line or lower than current transacted prices in today’s market,” Mr Atkinson said.