2023 saleyard survey results released
05 October 2023
Key points:
- In the 2023 financial year, nearly 16.4 million livestock transactions for sheep and cattle occurred across Australia.
- The herd and flock rebuilds in NSW drove improvements in transactions of sheep and cattle across the state.
- The cyclical nature of the livestock industry and changing producer market decisions influence adjustments to total throughput.
On Friday 29 September, the National Livestock Reporting Service (NLRS) released the 2022–2023 Saleyard Survey.
The survey, reported voluntarily for the financial year, aims to inform industry of saleyard throughput across all states (except the Northern Territory).
This type of livestock throughput information can inform investment, strategic direction of and into saleyards, as well as highlighting the social, economic and cultural value saleyards provide to rural and regional communities.
Cyclical nature of livestock sector drives change
In the 2023 financial year, there were close to 16.4 million transactions made across sheep and cattle, down from 16.8 million in the previous financial year.
NSW sheep, NSW cattle and Queensland sheep transactions were the only state and species level throughput volumes to increase. All other states and species transaction volumes fell compared to the previous financial year.
The cyclical nature of the herd and flock rebuilds alongside changing market conditions can be attributed to adjustments in livestock supply via the saleyards as producers choose different sales channels to market their stock.
