More than 1,200 industry delegates met on the Gold Coast for BeefEx 2026 to discuss productivity, technology, market access and the scale-up of Australia’s grainfed sector.
BeefEx 2026 attracted a record attendance — more than 1,200 delegates — with Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria supplying the largest shares of registrations.
Conference sessions and trade displays focused on productivity improvements, innovative technologies and workforce, regulatory and market access challenges facing lotfeeders.
Industry awards at BeefEx recognised innovation, research, education and community contributions across the grainfed sector.
# What happened at BeefEx 2026
# Who attended and regional spread
Queensland accounted for the largest share of registrations (54%), followed by New South Wales (25%) and Victoria (11%). The event has run every two years since 1991 and brings producers, suppliers, processors and service providers together for three days of presentations, panels and networking.
# Numbers that matter for the industry
At the end of the June quarter the Australian feedlot sector reported 1.66 million head on feed and an operating capacity just under 1.8 million head. The Australian Lot Feeders Association (ALFA) suggested that, if current expansion trends continue, national feedlot capacity could be in the order of 2 million to 2.5 million head by 2035. Those figures reflect both capacity increases at existing yards and new feedlots coming online.
# Conference focus: productivity, innovation and market access
Sessions targeted practical drivers of lotfeeding performance: feed efficiency, pen management, workforce issues, technology adoption and navigating market access and regulatory settings. International and national speakers presented on trends shaping demand for grainfed beef and on innovations that can lift throughput and reduce per-head costs.
Trade displays showcased equipment and digital tools relevant to day-to-day feedlot operations, including stock handling systems and pen-level management devices used by pen riders, feedmill operators and yard staff.
# Industry leadership message
# Awards and recognition
Across the three-day program BeefEx presented awards across multiple categories: feedlot of the year, innovation in the feedlot sector, Young Lotfeeder of the Year, education and research awards, youth research, and community leadership awards. A separate BeefEx piece highlighted winners including an app for pen riders and other practical innovations.
# What delegates took away
Attendees had concentrated exposure to technologies and approaches that can improve operational productivity: better feed and ration management, data capture at the pen or animal level, and ideas for reducing labour bottlenecks. The conference also surfaced policy and market conversations about export access and regulatory settings that influence profitability for lotfeeders.
# Why it matters now
The combination of record attendance and rising on-feed numbers signals a sector that is expanding scale and seeking efficiency. As capacity grows, feedlot operators face practical decisions about investment pathways, how to integrate new technologies into operations, and how to manage workforce and regulatory pressures while meeting market standards.
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