Sheep Industry News August 2025

equal to a year ago. Boxed leg prices continue to struggle recently declining to $478 per cwt., about $50 per cwt. lower than last year. Recent market data reported by the American Lamb Board lent support to the notion that leg prices and sales struggled in the first quarter while other items, such as ground lamb experienced growth. Wool Market July brings the beginning of the new, 2025-26, Australian wool marketing year. In contrast to past years, the first sales of this new year brought unusually small offerings for sale. Only 27,716 thou sand bales were offered for sale, reportedly the fewest since 1997. For the first week of July, prices expressed in U.S. dollars, increased a few cents across all microns. In relative terms, prices have increased more for coarser wools. Twenty-two micron and finer wools increased from $0.08 for 17 and 21 micron to $0.01 for 19-micron wool. Those were the highest prices since earlier this year. Twenty-six micron wool jumped $0.12 to $2.22 per pound from the prior week. That was its highest price since September 2022. Coarser wools hit their highest prices since 2020. A number of other factors have been impacting the wool market recently. In Australian markets, drought impacted wools with reduced yields have experienced large discounts. Prices for well-prepared wool held firm. The broader textile fibers market is experiencing lower prices. Cotton prices are projected to be the

lowest of this decade. Broader macroeconomic struggles in major economies are impacting demand. On Balance Seasonally tighter supplies may bring some near-term support to live prices prior to the arrival of midwestern lambs to the mar ket. As noted earlier, normal seasonal patterns have been in place, albeit with some significant live animal price volatility. Where imports go from here will be an important area of market focus over the next few months.

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