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US floats 12.5pc tariff on lamb, mutton and goat meat, but not beef

AUSTRALIAN lamb, mutton and goat meat imports into the United States, and wool products from China, could attract a new 12.5pc tariff later this year, under proposals by the US Trade Representative…Read More

Terry Sim, June 4, 2026

Farm safety

Primary producers urged to inspect heavy vehicles for safety

THE National Heavy Vehicle Regulator is reminding primary producers to prioritise the maintenance of their heavy vehicles to prevent critical mechanical failure…Read More

Sheep Central, June 4, 2026

Wild Dog & Pest Control

VFF calls for status change on dingoes in Victoria

VICTORIAN farmers have called for the removal of dingoes from the threatened species list in the state and an immediate review of management policy in the north-west…Read More

Sheep Central, June 3, 2026

Live Export

WA Roadmap to 2028 launched with no timelines – WAFarmers

A LACK of measureable timelines, milestones and deliverables in the WA Roadmap to 2028 for the Western Australian sheep industry has been noted by the state’s peak farmer body WAFarmers…Read More

Terry Sim, June 3, 2026

Nutrition & Animal Health

Come and have your say on lamb lotfeeding

GUNDAGAI Meat Processors chief executive officer Will Barton has thrown his weight behind wider producer discussion on lamb feedlotting especially within an eating quality context…Read More

Sheep Central, June 3, 2026

Animal ID and monitoring

Using sheep EID for drought management is LLS event focus

NEW South Wales sheep producers will be shown how electronic identification adoption can provide opportunities to utilise data for drought management at an event at Inverell this month…Read More

Sheep Central, June 3, 2026

Weather

Weekly rainfall update to 1 June 2026 + rainfall outlook map

COLD fronts during the week brought light to moderate rainfall across parts of south-eastern Australia, with weekly rainfall totals of 5-50 mm, and locally higher falls, in parts of South Australia, much of Victoria into southern and inland New South Wales, and in western Tasmania…Read More

Bureau of Meteorology, June 3, 2026

Weather

Below average rain likely in long-range forecast for winter 2026

THE Bureau of Meteorology has released its winter long-range forecast showing rainfall for June, July and August is likely to be below average for most central, southern and eastern parts of Australia…Read More

Terry Sim, June 3, 2026

Research & Development

WA Roadmap to 2028 analysis highlights flock rebuild challenge

Terry Sim, June 1, 2026

Nutrition & Animal Health

Feedgrain Focus: North plummets as more rain falls

Liz Wells, June 1, 2026

Domestic Lamb

Meet Australia’s new world champion butcher from country Qld

By James Nason and Eric Barker, June 1, 2026

Grazing Land Management

FFSF under fire as some fertiliser companies feel the cold

By Liz Wells and Emma Alsop, June 1, 2026

Property

Rural properties taking longer to sell, but confidence remains

Sheep Central, June 1, 2026

Recruitment

Recruitment: Red meat careers in the spotlight

Sheep Central, June 1, 2026

Industry Dashboard

Carbon Trading Market

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

Today

37.45

Source: Jarden

$A / $US

Updated 7am daily

Today

0.7129

Source: NAB

ASX Market Index

05 Jun 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

-14.14

Source: Australian Bureau of Meteorology

ESTLI

Eastern States Trade Lamb Indicator. Ac/kg cwt

Last Week

1215.2

Source: MLA's NLRS

EMI

Eastern Market Indicator. c/kg clean

Today

1934

Source: Australian Wool Exchange

Goat

Eastern States 12.1-16kg c/kg cwt

Today

Source: MLA

ASX Market Index

05 Jun 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

WA Roadmap to 2028 analysis highlights flock rebuild challenge

Great, another pencil-pushing waste of time and money report on my industry. No sheep producer in Western Australia has the confidence to build numbers for these reasons. The eastern....

Rohan Chalmer

2026 Peter Westblade Scholarship recipients announced

Congratulations Tom and Rhiannon, well done. Looking forward to see the results of your good work. Can this be reported on Sheep Central?....

Renata Paliskis

Tariff actions continue despite strong US lamb prices and demand

i have raised lambs for 40 years. Prices have bounced all over the place, but mostly inverse to the US supply. Imports help keep people eating lamb. I can....

Paul L Wernette

The skills crisis in Aussie meat processing and why experience alone can’t fix it

I was once a highly skilled meat processor, but they didn’t like us making good money on tally systems and the money they pay now is not worth getting....

Iain Manhall

US floats 12.5pc tariff on lamb, mutton and goat meat, but not beef

Terry Sim, June 4, 2026

VFF calls for status change on dingoes in Victoria

VICTORIAN farmers have called for the removal of dingoes from the threatened species list in the state and an immediate review of management policy in the north-west…Read More

Sheep Central, June 3, 2026

Weekly rainfall update to 1 June 2026 + rainfall outlook map

Bureau of Meteorology, June 3, 2026

Below average rain likely in long-range forecast for winter 2026

Terry Sim, June 3, 2026

Markets

Demand for Merino and crossbred wool volumes lifts market

AUSTRALIA’S wool auction market surged to its highest level since 2019 this week, as buyers chased Merino and crossbred volumes…Read More

Sheep Central, May 29, 2026

Forward wool market active for Merino and crossbred fleece

AUSTRALIA’S forward wool market has been active since 21 May, with 40,000kg traded across the 18, 19 and 28 micron contracts…Read More

By Andrew Gooley, May 29, 2026

Strong restocker lamb demand continues on AuctionsPlus

RESTOCKER lambs sold for more than $18 a kg carcase weight on AuctionsPlus last week, with several Merino lines making more than $15/kg cwt…Read More

Sheep Central, May 25, 2026

Crossbred wool price gains lead the auction market

CROSSBRED wool prices moved still higher in auctions this week, reflecting solid demand for lower-cost raw wool, according to Australian Wool Innovation…Read More

Sheep Central, May 22, 2026

A WA Roadmap to 2028 economic analysis report has laid out the size of the challenge to rebuild Western Australia’s sheep industry from the flock, labour and production impacts..Read More

Terry Sim, June 1, 2026

Feedgrain Focus: North plummets as more rain falls

NORTHERN feedgrain prices tumbled last week as further rain brightened the region’s production prospects and demand from graziers fell away…Read More

Liz Wells, June 1, 2026

FFSF under fire as some fertiliser companies feel the cold

THE FEDERAL Government’s extension of financial support to just two of Australia’s many fertiliser importers came under scrutiny last week from within and outside the fertiliser industry…Read More

By Liz Wells and Emma Alsop, June 1, 2026

Wool Production

WA Roadmap to 2028 analysis highlights flock rebuild challenge

A WA Roadmap to 2028 economic analysis report has laid out the size of the challenge to rebuild Western Australia’s sheep industry from the flock, labour and production impacts..Read More

Terry Sim, June 1, 2026

Feedgrain Focus: North plummets as more rain falls

NORTHERN feedgrain prices tumbled last week as further rain brightened the region’s production prospects and demand from graziers fell away…Read More

Liz Wells, June 1, 2026

FFSF under fire as some fertiliser companies feel the cold

By Liz Wells and Emma Alsop, June 1, 2026

AWI’s Transition to Non-Mulesed pilot project is all about flystrike

AUSTRALIAN Wool Innovation is seeking expressions of interest for a Transition to Non-Mulesed Pilot Project, but is apparently not motivated to increase the production of market-preferred non-mulesed wool in Australia…Read More

Terry Sim, May 25, 2026

Processing

Millionth WoolClip bale tracked to China for processing + VIDEO

AUSTRALIA’S one millionth wool bale processed via WoolClip has been tracked to China for processing at leading textile manufacturer Nanshan Group to highlight the importance of global traceability…Read More

Sheep Central, May 20, 2026

Midfield Meat International wins top Australian lamb award

WARRNAMBOOL processor Midfield Meat International has led the Victorian domination of the lamb categories at the recent Royal Queensland Branded Beef and Lamb Awards at the Brisbane Showgrounds…Read More

Sheep Central, May 4, 2026

Former Minerva Western Australian abattoir assets for sale

TWO mothballed regional Western Australian meat processing facilities previously operated by Minerva Foods Australia have been put to market…Read More

Sheep Central, April 16, 2026

Jack’s the man as Te Kuiti celebrate’s 40th New Zealand Shears

THE 40th New Zealand Shears shearing and woolhandling championships has ended in Te Kuiti on Saturday with a spectacular 25-sheep open shearing final dominated by New Zealand teammates Jack Fagan and Toa Henderson…Read More

Doug Laing, Shearing Sports New Zealand, April 13, 2026

Trade

WA Roadmap to 2028 launched with no timelines – WAFarmers

A LACK of measureable timelines, milestones and deliverables in the WA Roadmap to 2028 for the Western Australian sheep industry has been noted by the state’s peak farmer body WAFarmers…Read More

Terry Sim, June 3, 2026

Meet Australia’s new world champion butcher from country Qld

AUSTRALIA’S butchering industry has a new world champion — 24 year-old Toowoomba butcher Luke Thomas from Millers Gourmet Meats is now a world title holder after claiming victory in the World Butcher Wars 2026 final held at Sydney Olympic Park…Read More

By James Nason and Eric Barker, June 1, 2026

MLA launches its online WA Sheep Transition Hub for producers

MEAT & Livestock has launched a WA Sheep Transition Hub to support the Western Australian industry through its transition up to the live sheep export phase out in May 2028…Read More

Sheep Central, May 28, 2026

Tariff actions continue despite strong US lamb prices and demand

ATTEMPTS to limit Australian and New Zealand lamb imports into the United States are continuing, driven by the belief that the imported lamb is holding back domestic production growth…Read More

Terry Sim, May 20, 2026

Property

Rural properties taking longer to sell, but confidence remains

RURAL property listing times have trended higher in most parts of Australia over the past six months, while active and new listings have been generally stable, a recent property market analysis by Elders has found…Read More

Sheep Central, June 1, 2026

Historic and long-held properties for sale in NSW, SA and Victoria

THIS week’s property review includes this wrap-up of interesting recent listings in New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia…Read More

By property editor Linda Rowley, May 29, 2026

Wanganella and Boonoke deals lead latest property sales

THE sale of the Wanganella and Boonoke Merino studs and properties leads the major sheep property transactions being finalised in New South Wales and Western Australia…Read More

Property editor Linda Rowley, May 27, 2026

Packsaddle’s Pulgamurtie Station heads outback listings

PROPERTIES across New South Wales, Queensland and South Australia feature in this week’s wrap-up of interesting listings across the country…Read More

By property editor Linda Rowley, May 21, 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