In the beef industry, we’ve seen the national average weaner calf price increase, with the price for calves between 200 and 250kg now at R31.80 per kilogram. Direct sales traded at R32.82 per kg last week for this specific weight class, still over 8% lower than a year ago when it was at R34.62 per kg. Lighter calves under 200kg dropped slightly to R31.29, while heavier calves over 250kg fell to R28.80 per kg. The average price in the Free State is R32.75, while the price in the Western Cape is R33 per kg. It’s important to remember that these are average prices, and factors like quality, animal type, and supply and demand at specific auctions will influence the price. We also saw the A2/3 carcass price trade slightly higher at R53.04, while the C-grade price rose to R46.28 per kg. I think A and C-grade prices could rise further in December when demand should stay relatively high. Weaner calf prices, as mentioned last week, are expected to increase slightly until the end of the year or at least trade around current levels. However, from January to mid-February, calf prices could face strong resistance.

In the sheep industry, the national average feeder lamb price has dropped further, now standing at R37.31 per kilogram, with the average slaughter lamb price at R37.23. For direct sales, the feeder lamb price is R38.90, and slaughter lambs are R37.99. The lower average price was driven by lower prices in the Northern Cape and Limpopo, where prices traded below R37. However, the average feeder lamb price in the Free State traded at R39.50, while the price in the Western Cape rose to R42 per kilogram. The A2/3 price decreased slightly to R87.69, while the C2/3 price fell to R63.89 per kg. I still believe we can expect better slaughter prices, with forecasts indicating that prices could be above R90 by the end of November. Unfortunately, we are currently in a period when lamb prices usually drop. Projections, based on previous years’ price movements, suggest that lamb prices could continue to decline until the end of January, stabilize until the end of May, and then rise sharply in June and July. I’ll keep you updated if anything changes these projections.

In the wool market, prices have increased slightly, with RWS at a clean price of R162.01 per kg, while non-RWS wool rose to R159.68 per kg. In Australia, the average wool price increased by 0.62% to AUS $11.32 per kg. Some bales are being held back to prevent the market from completely falling. While there is relatively good demand, it’s not as high as usual for this time of year and isn’t enough to handle all the supply. The accumulated supply will unfortunately counteract any strong upward movement once it wants to set in.

Poultry prices have risen again as expected last week, with the frozen ex-abattoir price at R33.81, fresh prices up to R34.23, while the IQF price dropped to R31.29 per kilogram. I believe these prices can hold at current levels for the rest of the year, with a slight increase also possible as demand picks up.

There was also some positive movement in pork prices, with the latest baconer price rising to R32.87, porker prices up slightly to R33.48, and the latest sausage pig price up 2.6% to R25.56 per kg. Prices are still expected to remain close to current levels until just before Christmas and then decline as we move into the new year.

Goat prices also increased a bit last week, with the latest large goat price at R41.92, small goat prices up to R63.52, medium goats now at R47.87, and goat ewe prices rising to R52.08 last week. Goat prices may stay steady until January, but traditionally, we see a sharp decline each year in February.

In the feed market, the latest average Grade 1 lucerne price for producers remained unchanged at R3000 per ton, Supremes still at R3900, while Grade 2 lucerne traded at R2600, depending on foreign material. The Western Cape continues to buy Supremes, and exports are still going out.

The high maize price is still causing some mills to stop production, leading to a natural shortage of chop, with the average price increasing to R4700 per ton last week. The maize price will now play a major role in determining the chop price, with much cheaper maize starting to come in from our neighboring countries. This could cause local maize prices to stagnate, but we still think they could remain relatively high until the end of the year.