Online store and fat stock auctions started the year at a high level, but brokers is starting to see a decline in subsequent trading.
By Johan Norval, senior journalist at African Farming and Landbouweekblad
André van Zyl of Vleissentraal Port Elizabeth says this trend is in stark contrast to 2025, when January price levels continued to show an upward trajectory.
There could be several reasons for the 2026 trend.
Van Zyl says inland holidaymakers’ seaside holidays in 2025 included a substantial portion of red meat, which depleted retailers’ stock holdings. This demand resulted in Vleissentraal’s first online auction on 12 January achieving significantly high price levels.
This broker is still able to trade small livestock in its service area south of the Orange River, in the Eastern and Western Cape and parts of the Northern Cape, as foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is not yet widespread there.
“Sellers have been eagerly following the high price levels of the first internet auctions, but this is gradually starting to decline. The supply of slaughter lambs exceeds demand, as exporters are slow to purchase carcasses due to the prevalence of FMD.”
Vleissentraal Port Elizabeth’s internet auction on 12 January this year yielded approximately R18 million, with 7 174 store lambs achieving an average price of R53,64/kg (most expensive R55,19/kg). A total of 1 262 slaughter lambs achieved an average of R51,30/kg, 200 old ewes averaged R34/kg on the hoof, and 332 weaners averaged R44,25/kg.
The average price of the 7 174 store lambs at Vleissentraal Port Elizabeth’s internet auction on 19 January had already decreased by R2,14/kg (R51,50/kg), while the average price of store ewes fell by R2,67/kg (R31,33/kg).
The average price of weaners decreased by R3,45/kg (average R40,82/kg). The turnover of the auction on 19 January exceeded R7,8 million.
The average price of feedlot lambs and store ewes fell even further at this marketer’s internet auction on 26 January in Riversdale. Not many slaughter lambs were sold on this auction, with a converted carcass price of around R103/kg.
André van Zyl conducted the above auctions on behalf of Vleissentraal Port Elizabeth in collaboration with Meerkat.
At another internet auction hosted on 26 January at the Barkly East Golf Club, held by Dieter Schutte’s BKB branch in Cradock in collaboration with SwiftVEE, the price of bull calves (260–320 kg) ranged from R38/kg to R43,80/kg (201–240 kg). The price of heifers ranged from R38,50/kg (205–300 kg) to R44,40/kg (200–250 kg), with crossbred bulls (Bonsmara/Braford) R39,50/kg to R42/kg (Tuli-Beefmaster).
Auctions are however struggling in the FMD-infected areas in the central part of the Free State. Piet Wessels of BKB Kroonstad says two promising auctions for which they have obtained permission will be held on 6 and 7 February respectively in the Be Human centre north of Bloemfontein (Vredesig Suffolks) and the Bloekombos centre opposite the Ultra City filling station at Kroonstad (Johanri Dormers).
Also read:
FMD | Crisis raises fears for auctions, prices and genetic stock
FMD | Biosecure online auctions offer lifeline to farmers
Boer goat WhatsApp group grows into auction ring
