Q1 2026 Feedlot & Slaughter Analysed: Grainfed Cattle Prioritisation and the 2026 Peak in the Cattle Cycle

With two key datasets from the Australian Bureau of Statistics for slaughter & production and the MLA/ALFA Feedlot Brief released this week, Ripley dives into all the figures in this episode. Articulating what it all means for the beef industry, where we’re heading and how there’s a distinct structural realignment unfolding towards preferences for grainfed cattle in Australia. Join Ripley as he further elaborates how large numbers of females processed doesn’t necessarily translate into rapid levels of herd liquidation like it used to, whilst sharing a little-known tip on how beef exports are a lead indicator for slaughter & production numbers.