Home - Sheep Central

RIC variable rate hits 5.71pc, first hike in two years

AUSTRALIAN Government specialist lender, Regional Investment Corporation has announced the variable interest rate on all its loans will increase from 5.18 percent to 5.71pc effective from 1 August 2026 in the first RIC loan rate increase in two years…Read More

Sheep Central, July 21, 2026

Lamb Production

Sheep producer survey indicates wether flock rebound in 2027

AUSTRALIA’S wether flock is set to rebound in 2027 for the first time in years, and seemingly ten times faster than the ewe flock, on the back of improved seasonal conditions and feed availability, according to the latest Sheep Producers Intentions Survey…Read More

Terry Sim, July 20, 2026

Wool Production

Walcha couple win the Australian Open of fleece competitions

AUSTRALIAN National Fleece Competition winners, Walcha growers Michael and Jenny Sweeney, nearly didn’t enter this year’s competition, but a four year-old wether fleece has given them the coveted Grand Champion sash…Read More

Terry Sim, July 20, 2026

Production

National Farm Safety Week asks all to lead by example

EVERYONE involved in agriculture is being invited to put farm safety into practice to protect not just themselves, but also those around them by becoming a role model during and beyond National Farm Safety Week 2026, which kicked off yesterday…Read More

Sheep Central, July 20, 2026

Lamb Production

Feedgrain Focus: Offshore heat kicks local market

WHEAT and barley markets have jumped as Asian demand responds to the choke on Russian grain shipments, which is magnifying weather shocks in the Northern Hemisphere…Read More

Liz Wells, July 20, 2026

New spray-on delivers dual protection against flystrike

Elanco has announced the Australian launch of CLiK Duostar, the first dicyclanil-based product that prevents and treats blowfly strike…Read More

Zoetis purchase of Neogen unlikely to lessen sheep service competition

AUSTRALIA’S competition regulator believes Zoetis Holdings LLC’s proposed acquisition of Neogen Corporation’s global animal genomic testing business is unlikely to substantially lessen competition among sheep genomic testing services…Read More

Sheep Central, July 20, 2026

Markets

Focus on feed, stocking rate, weight gain and health: Howie

LIVESTOCK producers should ‘stay in the game’ and focus on feed, stocking rates, weight gain and animal health, and avoid the risks of a ‘preserve pasture for later’ unload mentality, according to RMA chief executive officer Chris Howie…Read More

RMA chief executive officer Chris Howie, July 16, 2026

News

Disparate industry representation weakens ag’s voice: Allison

Emma Alsop, July 16, 2026

Property

Weekly property review: What a $25m budget buys in different grazing country across Australia

Property editor Linda Rowley, July 17, 2026

Markets

Selective wool buyers drag auction market back

Terry Sim, July 17, 2026

News

Zoetis exceeds $1 million for Beyond Blue, as 2026 fundraising campaign starts

Sheep Central, July 16, 2026

Recruitment

Recruitment: Building a talent pipeline for management roles before the need to hire

Sheep Central, July 17, 2026

Markets

American plan to lift imported lamb tariffs gains traction

Sheep Central, July 15, 2026

Industry Dashboard

Carbon Trading Market

Aust. Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs) - $/tonne of CO2 equiv.

Today

37.95

Source: Jarden

$A / $US

Updated 7am daily

Today

0.6983

Source: NAB

ASX Market Index

21 Jul 2026 (updated 10am daily)

Company	Price	Trending
Elders	$8.96
Australian Agricultural Co	$1.52
Graincorp	$7.29
Ridley	$2.12
Woolworths	$36.64
Wellard	$0.06

Source: ASX

SOI Graph

Southern Oscillation Index (SOI)

Today

-17.02

Source: Australian Bureau of Meteorology

ESTLI

Eastern States Trade Lamb Indicator. Ac/kg cwt

Last Week

1219

Source: MLA's NLRS

EMI

Eastern Market Indicator. c/kg clean

Today

1901

Source: Australian Wool Exchange

Goat

Eastern States 12.1-16kg c/kg cwt

Today

Source: MLA

ASX Market Index

21 Jul 2026 (updated 10am daily)

Company	Price	Trending
Elders	$8.96
Australian Agricultural Co	$1.52
Graincorp	$7.29
Ridley	$2.12
Woolworths	$36.64
Wellard	$0.06

Source: ASX

What readers are saying

Why is the farm lobby uneasy about burgeoning data centres?

Informative article - thank you. But it seems to have overlooked the importance of security of the water supply. These data centres will require very high security of water....

Denis Tinkler

Future Flock Strategy — when will sheep producers see it?

I always thought Yes Minister was just a British comedy, but now we have our own Australian version - its called Sheep Producers Australia. The level of ridiculousness at SPA....

Harry Johnston

NSW Government puts up $1.4m for Goulburn wool auction centre

Of course, it is past the time to have only one wool selling centre in Australia and that centre must be close to a container port to ensure prompt....

Peter Small

Future Flock Strategy — when will sheep producers see it?

After reading the actual document released at LambEx, a few things stand out that producers should weigh up before this gets called a "strategy": It isn't a strategy, it's a....

Tim Jones

RIC variable rate hits 5.71pc, first hike in two years

Sheep Central, July 21, 2026

Disparate industry representation weakens ag’s voice: Allison

OUTGOING Elders chief executive Mark Allison has described the fragmented nature of agricultural representation as a “massive issue”, saying it has undermined the industry’s ability to secure meaningful national policy reform…Read More

Emma Alsop, July 16, 2026

Zoetis exceeds $1 million for Beyond Blue, as 2026 fundraising campaign starts

ANIMAL health company Zoetis has partnered with the Beyond Blue mental health support charity since 2016, donating more than $1 million over that period to help fund support services for people living in the bush. The 2026 campaign aiming to raise another $100,000 has started – here’s how you can be involed, ..Read More

Sheep Central, July 16, 2026

Recruitment: Building a talent pipeline for management roles before the need to hire

A talent pipeline for management isn’t complicated in principle, this week’s recruitment article emphasises. It’s about maintained group of people who could be right for upcoming management roles in your agribusiness: identified, kept warm, and understood well enough that when a management vacancy opens you’re not starting from zero…Read More

Sheep Central, July 17, 2026

Markets

Focus on feed, stocking rate, weight gain and health: Howie

RMA chief executive officer Chris Howie, July 16, 2026

Selective wool buyers drag auction market back

AUSTRALIA’S wool auction market closed lower this week, with weakness recorded across nearly all sectors of the market. The Australian Wool Exchange said Fremantle did not hold a sale..Read More

Terry Sim, July 17, 2026

American plan to lift imported lamb tariffs gains traction

A GLOBAL safeguard investigation into imports of lamb into the United States has been initiated after pressure from the American sheep industry…Read More

Sheep Central, July 15, 2026

Australia confident facts support mutual benefit of US lamb imports

AUSTRALIA’S sheep meat industry will be able to deliver a robust, fact-based case demonstrating the mutual benefit of Australia’s lamb trade to the United States, a peak processor body said this morning…Read More

Sheep Central, July 15, 2026

Liz Wells, July 20, 2026

Zoetis purchase of Neogen unlikely to lessen sheep service competition

Sheep Central, July 20, 2026

Feedgrain Focus: Dry week welcome as southern values firm

FEEDGRAIN values have softened a little in the north, and firmed in the south amid subdued consumer demand, and limited interest in wheat for export…Read More

Liz Wells, July 13, 2026

Wool Production

Sheep producer survey indicates wether flock rebound in 2027

Terry Sim, July 20, 2026

Walcha couple win the Australian Open of fleece competitions

Terry Sim, July 20, 2026

Feedgrain Focus: Offshore heat kicks local market

WHEAT and barley markets have jumped as Asian demand responds to the choke on Russian grain shipments, which is magnifying weather shocks in the Northern Hemisphere…Read More

Liz Wells, July 20, 2026

Focus on feed, stocking rate, weight gain and health: Howie

RMA chief executive officer Chris Howie, July 16, 2026

Processing

AMPC showcase helps MSA lamb into the marketplace

A WORLD-FIRST Meat Standards Australia index for sheep meat has arrived, with at least one Australian lamb processor already preparing to share the model with producers…Read More

By Sue Webster, July 9, 2026

Export lamb demand to grow, StoneX manager predicts

AUSTRALIA’S sheep flock will continue to rebuild this year and export demand will grow for lamb, according to StoneX Australian meats and livestock manager Ripley Atkinson…Read More

Lydia Burton, July 6, 2026

NSW Government puts up $1.4m for Goulburn wool auction centre

INDUSTRY plans to establish a wool-selling centre in the New South Wales regional city of Goulburn were laid bare today with the NSW Government’s announcement of a $1.4 million grant to AWH Ltd…Read More

Terry Sim, July 2, 2026

Hundreds gather for National ICMJ Conference + PICS

MORE than 300 university students and industry delegates from across the country have gathered in Wagga Wagga this week for the National Intercollegiate Meat Judging (ICMJ) Conference…Read More

Lydia Burton, July 1, 2026

Trade

Lamb prices to continue to follow beef upward

AUSTRALIAN sheep producers have been told the current run of high lamb and mutton prices could extend for up to three years despite global quota restrictions and tariffs, as beef and sheep meat supplies stay limited globally…Read More

Terry Sim, July 9, 2026

UK signals intent to align with EU Deforestation Regulations

THE United Kingdom is looking like adopting regulations similar to the European Union’s Deforestation Regulations (EUDR), that could potentially impact Australian red meat exports into the UK market…Read More

Sheep Central, July 2, 2026

Mooralla Merino story to be told at BestWool BestLamb conference

WESTERN District sheep producers Ricky and Marni Luhrs have contracts for their wool and the eggs from their pasture-raised hens – the next phase in their marketing will be being..Read More

Sheep Central, June 19, 2026

Mutton market prices hit record levels, but for how long?

MUTTON prices have hit record levels – averaging above $9/kg cwt and up to $10/kg in some saleyards this week – but there are doubts this can be sustained with supplies scarce and processors already planning for possibly extended winter shutdowns…Read More

Terry Sim, June 17, 2026

Property

Weekly property review: What a $25m budget buys in different grazing country across Australia

om tightly-held improved pasture in the south to extensive natural pasture cattle country in the north and west, a budget of $25 million buys very different grazing assets depending on the location. This week’s property review compares the scale, carrying capacity, water security and infrastructure available at that price point across the nation…Read More

Property editor Linda Rowley, July 17, 2026

Listing set to end 150-year ownership of SA’s Koonunga Hill

A GENERATIONAL farming asset in South Australia’s Mid North is being offered to the market by the Shannon family after 150 years of ownership…Read More

By property editor Linda Rowley, July 13, 2026

NSW listings offer breeding, finishing and carbon

NEW South Wales properties offering opportunities for livestock breeding, backgrounding and finishing plus carbon potential feature in this week’s wrap-up of interesting recent listings…Read More

By property editor Linda Rowley, July 10, 2026

Global forestry investor pays $20m for NSW grazing country

A GLOBAL nature-based investment manager is believed to have paid around $20 million for one of the largest contiguous grazing assets in the Southern Tablelands region of New South Wales…Read More

Guest Author, July 10, 2026

AgCarbon Central

New livestock carbon accounting method to encompass sheep

A PROPOSED new Australian Carbon Credit Unit Scheme livestock method under development by Meat & Livestock Australia will be applicable to lamb, mutton and beef production…Read More

Sheep Central, April 15, 2026

Microsoft makes another record-breaking soil carbon credit purchase

MICROSOFT has announced another record-breaking purchase of soil carbon credits, striking a deal with US company Indigo Ag to purchase 2.85m credits over 12 years…Read More

Sheep Central, January 19, 2026

“Broad scope”, lack of resourcing holding up soil carbon review

AN independent review of Australia’s soil carbon scheme is expected to be handed down by the end of this year, with a recent carbon conference told that the “broad scope” of the review was holding it up…Read More

Eric Barker, November 12, 2025

Soil carbon caught up in precarious political situation

SOIL carbon advancements continue to a background of a carefully balanced political situation and debate raging over “net zero” targets across the world, with Australia’s Federal Government appearing unwilling to give certainty to producers participating in the carbon market, Eric Barker reports from the National Carbon Farming conference…Read More

Eric Barker, November 5, 2025