Weekly eastern states cattle slaughter, as collected by MLA’s NLRS, averaged 3% lower during July, with steady year-on-year throughput in Queensland in contrast to a large fall in NSW and higher numbers in Victoria.
Heavy rainfall, restricted supplies and some unexpected plant closures were the main influence upon kill levels for the month, as the cold conditions continued to impact quality in NSW and Victoria.
With interrupted slaughtering in both July 2011 and 2012, Queensland is indicative weekly slaughter averaged 66,862 head – peaking in the first week of the month at 69,911 head.
Higher Victorian throughput helped to offset lower NSW numbers, with NSW average kills in July back 14% year-on-year, while Victorian numbers jumped 10%.
For SA, weekly average slaughter levels during July were up significantly year-on-year, primarily due to plant closures during July 2011.
Domestic demand for beef is still reportedly sluggish, with very little improvement registered in export markets.
With most market participants expecting cattle supplies to increase heading into the warmer months, prices could face downwards pressure if demand continues to remain subdued.
Source: MLA.com
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