Sheep

Central Murray Best Wool Best Lamb Carcass Competition had a record 177 carcases entered from 27 local producers for its 10th anniversary. Producers were spread from Blighty in the East, Balranald and Wanganella to the North, Quambatook to the South West and Kerang/Murrabit to the South East, with this year’s competition attracting a greater number of youth.

Australia’s sheep industry is at a turning point - and producers are being asked to help write the next chapter. Sheep Producers Australia (SPA) has launched the development of The Future Flock, a national strategy designed to guide the sheepmeat and wool sector through change and set a profitable, resilient direction for decades to come. ARR.News asked some questions of SPA CEO Bonnie Skinner about The Future Flock and national strategy.

Tasmania has emerged as a "standout success story" in Australian agriculture, powered by a vibrant and varied farming sector which has experienced sustained and widespread growth in recent decades, according to a new report. In the report, Gearing up for mature growth in Tasmanian agriculture, agribusiness banking specialist Rabobank says agriculture remains the cornerstone of Tasmania’s economy...

If there was ever a year to "step into good sheep," this is it, says Grant Hausler of Janmac Studs. "The team of rams you buy this year will hopefully take you into a good season and good prices, and what you purchase now is going to sire 150 lambs or more, that's a pretty good investment," he said.

Australia’s agriculture, fisheries and forestry production is expected to hit a record combined value of $101.6 billion in 2025-2026, according to the latest ABARES forecasts released today. ABARES Executive Director Dr Jared Greenville said the new record value was mostly down to livestock.

Rising from his first task as a livestock buyer on the walkway of the Naracoorte saleyards with Ian Perryman, Darren Thomas has piloted Thomas Foods International (TFI) into a global company with a $3 billion turnover. For 15 years he drove to work throughout the South East, but now Mr Thomas flies to work around the globe where he has customers in 85 countries and offices in nine.

Sentiment in Australia’s agricultural sector has softened over the winter months, as the nation’s farmers contend with higher input costs and mixed seasonal conditions, the latest Rabobank Rural Confidence Survey has found. The survey, released today, found net farm sector confidence has eased to a neutral reading of zero (down from five per cent in the previous survey).

The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) has released the latest statistics on livestock slaughtered and red meat production, which according to Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA) has confirmed a historic period for the red meat sector. Financial year 2024-2025 has seen beef production reach an all-time high, lamb slaughter maintained near-record levels, and mutton throughput surging to its highest volume since 2007.

A pen of 55 second-cross lambs sold to $479.50/head at Griffith, but agents say this still may not be the top of the market. The lamb price has been slowly climbing, with records nearly a weekly occurrence at saleyards across the country since late May.

Today’s release of the August Bendigo Bank Agribusiness Monthly Commodity Update finds that widespread rain in late July marked a turning point for Australia’s winter cropping season. Recent falls have further reinforced production confidence in NSW, Qld and large parts of WA and growers in Victoria and South Australia have also been given a renewed shot at achieving average yields or better...

Wakool Sheep Stud Induro White Suffolks has had a great showing at the 2025 Hamilton Sheepvention with wins across the board with their White Suffolks and also in Hamilton’s inaugural Ultra White showing. Induro stud owner Guy Treweek said it was a very successful event as they warm up for the year's bigger shows.

The team from Glendonald and Orrie Cowie had an exceptional few days at the 2025 Australian Sheep & Wool Show in Bendigo, showcasing the strength and consistency of their breeding programs. A combined 34 sheep were taken to the event between Glendonald and Orrie Cowie, contributing to both the show and sale with sheep that were well-prepared and highly competitive.

Three Narrandera High School students and their teacher Jim Shady, made their way to Bendigo to represent the school at this year's Angora Judging at the Bendigo Sheep and Wool Show. After preparing the fleeces and animals for judging the events started with the fleece classes.

A quiet revolution is set to transform how Riverina sheep farmers manage their flocks, as advanced AI-based facial recognition technology rapidly moves from research to real-world application. This cutting-edge innovation could soon mean the end of traditional ear-tagging, offering a more efficient and humane way to identify and monitor individual animals.

The Albanese Labor Government ... announcing further details of the $139.7 million sheep industry transition assistance package to support the phase out of live sheep exports by sea. The release of this detailed assistance package follows a series of industry co-design workshops held in Western Australia earlier this year.

The Opposition has slammed the Albanese and Cook Labor Governments over their deeply flawed $139 million live sheep phase-out package - calling it a political stunt dressed up as support, with no meaningful industry consultation and not a single dollar in new funding.

The Naracoorte Regional Livestock Exchange is close to finalising the installation of electronic identification (eID) equipment and infrastructure for sheep. The Naracoorte Lucindale Council confirmed the progress, noting that it allocated nearly $1 million in this financial year for improvements to the sheep yards.

Australian Sheep and Wool Show The Australian Sheep and Wool Show is no ordinary gathering of fleece and flair: this year’s event is gearing up...

Farmers and graziers from the Hay region have recently featured at the forefront of national outreach efforts by Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA), demonstrating how local expertise is shaping broader industry knowledge and showcasing regional resilience to a national audience ... Recent features by MLA highlight the work of Jess Armstrong, and Jack and Annabel Hanna.

The latest Sheep Producers Intentions Survey (SPIS), conducted by Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA) and Australian Wool Innovation (AWI), reveals a significant shift in producer sentiment and flock management strategies across the nation. This shift is being driven by volatile market conditions, extreme weather events, and regulatory changes, most notably the planned phase-out of live sheep exports.

Friday the 13th may be unlucky for some, but it turned out to be a record-breaking day for the Griffith Saleyards recently. A new national record price was set for heavy lambs when prices surged to $431 per head, exceeding the previous record set just a day earlier at Wagga.

Madison Eastmond. Kicking off at 8am this morning due to an unprecedented number of entries, the annual SA Sheep Dog Trials have returned to the Barmera Oval this week, with action continuing through to Sunday afternoon ... "A lot of our competitors tell us (Barmera) is the best trials they go to — with the town, the lake, and the extra entertainment we put on.": SA Sheepdog Trials organiser Bob Clark.