WITH a little over a week to go until Beef Central announces the winner of its 2025 Guess the Value of the EYCI by Year’s End competition, there’s still 30 or 40 readers who remain in contention for this year’s prize for being closest to the mark.

Reader might remember we kicked off the annual competition back in January-February, asking stakeholders to guess where the EYCI would end up ten months later, on December 9. The indicator sits this morning at  888.69c/kg (dressed weight equivalent), having eased a little from its 2025 season-high of 909.9c back on 19 November.

Among the hundreds of competition entries received from readers across the country earlier this year, there’s a bunch of around 30 that are currently pretty close to the current indicator number.

Of course, we may still see movement in the EYCI before our designated finish date next week at close of business on Tuesday, 9 December.

The 2025 year has again proven just how volatile Australian cattle markets can be, with a massive 300c/kg difference in young cattle prices between the year’s low point back in January (610c, sinking again to 630c/kg in February), before mounting a dramatic recovery from mid-July.

S.Kidman Australia clothing and apparel

In addition to considerable bragging rights, this year’s competition winner and runner-up will receive great prizes, totalling around $1000:

For the winner, a $650 voucher with high quality Australian country wear manufacturer S. Kidman Australia.

While S. Kidman will always be linked to its cattle empire roots, the company is evolving. S. Kidman has this year expanded into a new frontier – a premium, heritage-inspired clothing and footwear range that captures the essence of the outback. It’s a celebration of Australia’s traditions, its landscapes, and the hardworking fantastic Australians who make it what it is.

Kidman produces a wide range of high quality boots, hats, chinos and pants, shirts, caps, accessories, plus oilskin jackets, vests and coats via Driza-Bone.

Click here to learn more about the colourful history of the S. Kidman company and its new clothing and apparel brand.

For this year’s runner-up goes a bottle of Penfolds 389 Shiraz (the poor man’s Grange).

• The 2025 competition is decided on the EYCI indicator figure at close of business on Tuesday, 9 December. The winner and runner-up will be announced in Beef Central on 10 December.