Editor’s note: Entries are now closed.
BEEF Central readers keen to participate in our 2026 Eastern Young Cattle Indicator guessing competition, seeking predictions about where the EYCI will sit by the end of the year, need to lodge their predictions by midnight tonight, Brisbane time.
Last year’s competition attracted hundreds of reader entries, via Beef Central’s reader comment facility at the base of this page, or via email.
With some great prizes at stake, participants are asked to predict the EYCI’s level at the close of business on Tuesday 8 December, 2026.
The indicator today sits at 873.3c/kg (dressed weight equivalent), having risen almost 28c since this year’s competition was launched a month ago.
As always, early entries range from the optimists who see the indicator finishing the year well above 1000c/kg dressed weight equivalent, and other who predict barely half that number.
Last year’s competition attracted hundreds of entries from across Australia, with the winner being Merriwa (NSW) cattle producer David Alker, whose prediction of 865c/kg (carcase weight equivalent) was just 2.36c away from the designated final EYCI figure of 863.14.
S.Kidman Australia clothing and apparel
There’s some great prizes up for grabs again for the winner and runner-up this year, totalling around $1200:
For the winner, a $1000 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 last 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.
S. 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 stylish, well-made clothing and apparel brand.
For this year’s runner-up goes a bottle of Penfolds 389 Shiraz (the poor man’s Grange), or equivalent.
How to participate
To join Beef Central’s EYCI guessing competition, simply register your prediction using the reader comment facility at the base of this page. We ask that entries include a number with at least one decimal point, to help separate similar entries (NLRS reports the EYCI indicator to two decimal places – ie today’s figure is is 854.14c/kg dressed weight equivalent). Full names required for entries, please.
We’re asking for your prediction of EYCI’s value at the close of business on Tuesday, 8 December, 2026. Feel free to add a sentence or two if you want, giving your reasoning.
Entries close midnight – Thursday 19 March. Winners will be announced on Wednesday 9 December, based on the closing EYCI figure the day before.
Good luck!
902.5
Somewhat less in the West.....unfortunately
904.7c/kg cwt
721.34
956.8
882.34
1040
793.75
703.00
EYCI 932.56
My guess is 896.21c/kg
812.26
865
873.1c/kg
987.3c/kg
936.15c/kg
847.42 c/kg
825.2
933.15
873.26
910.29c/kg
723c
811.5
845.7 December 2026
763.2c
902
812.7c
price $ 847.89
Andrew Hosken
16/3/2026
1017.88
1002.25
904.7c
934.14
863.2 I predict a similar year to 25 with moderate up and downs to finish year around the same mark
887.89
790
928.49 cents per kg due to wars in middle east etc continuing and a shortage of beef.
823
850.15
789.01
951
726.9
892.17
903.2
7.63
996.4
826.2
846.24
955.4
871.52
917.36
842.14
956c
777.77
948.25 c/kg
913.87
786.3
726
P A
911.4
1003.14 c/kg
951
695.20
1025.50
EYCI value at year end 1003.14
788
896.89 c/kg
939.55 c/kg
858.41 c/kg
861.5
745c/kg
782.52
840c/kg
863.14
Because AI said that is the average of all the guesses (so far)... Law of Large Numbers?
917.3
972.5
764.3
904.15
877c
$10.19
800.01
831
$9.98
897.26
$9.65
969.5
880.55
971.03
1225.2 c/kg
1251.2c/kg
1020.30
China will feed its people
727.60c/kg
944.10
842.15
902.68 A rise and fall between now and then.
826.16
931c
1175.00
1077.50
888.01
810.25
884.47
797.7
854.04
819.75 c/kg
832.28
$9.21
9.21 for the EYCI in December 2026
757.57
805.26
950c/kg (a WAGNER = wild arsed guess not easily refuted!)
Cheers
Bob Shepherd
EYCI 658.5 I hope I'm wrong.
8.25
1215
946c/kg
824.26
718.60c/kg
880.2
972.55
905.5 c/kg
868.62c/kg
723.5
720.2
792.4 EYCI
797.5c/kg
850.5
790.00
987.45
1200.255
Based on shortage of cattle after prolonged drought eastern states
EYCI 987c/kg
915.05
915.65
1022c/kg
1010.25
8.55
9.10
912.45
998.55
EYCI 784.15
1102c
920.00
EYCI 950.10
EYCI = 1000.33
1012
EYCI 788.56
812.17
762.82
730.3
869.36
My estimate for EYCI at year end is 992.25 c
814.5c/kg
EYCI 910.2
EYCI Hopefully 898.2
1,115c/kg
EYCI: 927.25
587.2
EYCI 837c kg
826.6c/kg
789.5c/kg
948.75
861.1c /kg
EYCI
683c/kg
740 c/kg
752.00
Drier conditions in late 2026 will pull back restocker demand. Light cattle and breeding females to become cheaper, solid demand for heavier slaughter type cattle. Off to the races when it rains in ‘27
Prediction EYCI = 1032.5c/kg
824.4
My prediction for the EYCI at the end of the year is 949.23c/kg
My reason is based on the potential for heavy restocking in the south of the country if a solid spring.
842.9c kg
1164.37 cts
999.9 c/kg
in memory of when you could buy something at the butcher from under a tenner per kg
904.65
1010
796.5c kg
1,050¢/kg
EYCI 927.35
1025.14c/kg
854c kg
827.55
EYCI 784.18
1075.51
889.16c/kg
Prediction EYCI = 805.75c/kg
876.44
Enough export market headwinds to push the EYCI a little lower.
My prediction is 837 c/ kg
765.4
1075.5
$653.89c/kg