National Young Cattle Indicator launched

The most significant cattle monitor in two decades has been launched by the National Livestock Reporting Service, covering cattle sold anywhere in Australia.

A new national indicator has been launched for cattle. Picture: Yuri Kouzmin

A new store cattle indicator which will allow producers to compare prices from state to state has been launched this week.

The National Young Cattle Indicator was officially online on Monday and tracks the prices of weaners, yearlings and vealers, 200kg and heavier, in cents-a-kilogram liveweight from saleyard data collected by the National Livestock Reporting Service as well as from AuctionsPlus.

But major store operators, like the RLX group and Stocklive, are yet to come on board.

MLA national market information manager Stephen Bignell said it was the most significant monitor since the Eastern Young Cattle Indicator was established two decades ago.

“This indicator has to be accurate, relevant, reliable and reflective of the current market,” Mr Bignell said.

“We want producers to be targeted when they are looking at indicators, and we understood that young store cattle prices were something that they wanted to know about.”

While it was only launched this week, there is historical data which allows prices to be tracked over a longer period.

Mr Bignell acknowledged there was key data missing from store sales being held across the nation, but said MLA was working with operators to try to include this.

“We could have kept waiting and waiting but we wanted to be able to release this and then include other information as they come on board,” he said.

AuctionsPlus general manger network Paul Holm said the online platform could act as more than just a marketplace.

“Our status as the largest restocking platform in the country has made it the go-to destination for producers to get real time data (prices),” Mr Holm said.

“By providing data to the new National Young Cattle Indicator, AuctionsPlus is continuing to play a role in connecting agriculture and providing producers with critical information to make informed decisions.”

Bowyer and Livermore agent Todd Clements from Bathurst, NSW, is a major buyer of cattle throughout the eastern states and said the release of the indicator was timely.

“Really, the EYCI is not as useful anymore to us when we are buying store stock,” Mr Clements said.

“A national indicator will give us all the up do date information we need and will allow us to make more considered buying decisions.”

Todd Clements, Bowyer & Livermore, Bathurst.

The indicator will cover yearling, vealer and weaner cattle over 200kg liveweight which are bought and sold as restocker animals, meaning that they will return to a farm to replace livestock, be grown out, or join the breeding herd.

The NYCI will cover cattle sold anywhere in Australia, unlike the EYCI which only covers saleyard markets on the east coast and the Western Young Cattle Indicator, which covers cattle sold in the west.