Angus bull selling: how demand is holding up against the increased supply

Talk of an oversupply of Angus bulls coming into Queensland bull selling season does not appear to be holding up as the first big month of sales comes to a wrap.

Analysis of Angus bull sales covered by Queensland Country Life journalists for August this year shows an average clearance rate of 87 per cent. That compares to 89pc for the same Angus sales in August, 2024.

That puts the Angus breed smack in the middle of breed clearance rate results across QCL-covered bull sales.

Angus averages during August in most cases were up on last year, in some cases by more than $1000.

Queensland Angus bulls have gone as far south as Victoria in the selling so far.

Some commentators were suggesting that the boom in Angus seedstock business that has come on the back of the desperate demand for black bulls in Queensland five years ago would come home to roost this year, with too many bulls on offer.

While bull selling season still has a while to run, that prediction is not playing out.

Angus breed leaders and analysts point to the strong demand in restocker and feeder steer circles for Angus as a driver of the demand that is holding up against a backdrop of increased supply.

Angus content is expected to be in even stronger demand as the drought-hit south starts to rebuild herds, with at least one prominent analyst forecasting Angus feeder steers to hit 750 cents a kilogram live weight by the end of 2026.

Three-quarters of the southern herd make-up is Angus.

Angus Australia president Sinclair Munro said what those buying Angus genetics were chasing was good carcase quality and good weight-for-age.

"The Angus feeder steer price is really high at the moment, so that has been a big help," he said.

"The demand for Angus in the commercial industry has been massive, so people are buying more and more Angus bulls."

Mr Munro said the supply of Angus bulls had risen with the demand, and prices were still higher than last year.

"Even though the season has been very bad in the south, I think there is some optimism there for a bit of rain in the south," he said.

"The preferred animal to replace in southern NSW, Vic, and SA, is Angus, so people are expecting that they are probably keeping more heifers to get their numbers up.

"I think the store market for pregnancy-tested-in-calf Angus is going to increase, and on that expectation, people have been buying more Angus bulls."