Australian grainfed beef sector continues its upward trajectory

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Quarterly turnoff exceeds 1 million head for the first time on record
Cattle on feed climbs to 1.62 million head
Feedlot utilisation remains strong at 92%

Australia’s grainfed beef sector continues its strong performance, with the March 2026 quarter delivering new national records across build capacity, numbers on feed and turn-off, according to the latest survey released by the Australian Lot Feeders’ Association (ALFA) and Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA).

For the first time, quarterly turn-off surpassed one million head. Following two consecutive quarters above 900,000, turn-off in the March quarter rose 11% to 1,046,717 head.

Grant Garey, ALFA President, said the latest results reflect continued confidence and investment across the feedlot sector.

“The first quarter of 2026 delivered another strong result for the grain fed sector, reflecting the momentum carried through much of 2025.”

We continue to see sustained investment in capacity, infrastructure and operational efficiency and these latest numbers-on-feed, high utilisation rates and record turn-off demonstrate an industry going from strength to strength,” Mr Garey said.

“However, in recent months, global uncertainty has increased following the introduction of China’s market access quota, ongoing instability in the Middle East, and pressure in fuel and fertiliser markets. Domestically, drought conditions in several regions have impacted cattle and grain markets, while cost-of-living pressures continue to influence consumers.”

“We are yet to see how these factors will fully impact feedlot production later this year, however confidence remains strong, global demand buoyant and the underlying fundamentals sound,” Mr Garey said.

MLA Senior Market Information Analyst Emiliano Diaz said the latest survey results demonstrate a sector that is on a sustained growth trajectory.

“Following long-term investment in feedlot capacity, it was only a matter of time before the industry reached one million head turn-off,” Mr Diaz said.

Feedlot capacity increased by 1% quarter-on-quarter to a record 1.78 million head, up 7.3% year-on-year. Numbers on feed also climbed to a new high of 1,629,911 head, reflecting strong demand for grainfed beef and continued utilisation of expanded capacity.

National utilisation remained high at 92%, indicating that additional capacity is being actively used by feedlot operators and absorbed by both domestic and global markets.

Queensland and New South Wales led utilisation rates at above 90%, while Victoria (83%), South Australia (88%) and Western Australia (70%) recorded slightly lower levels.