GRAZIERS have had a windfall as cattle prices soared to an all-time high this week.

Cattle prices at the saleyard on Tuesday were as high as 328 cents per kilo for angus yearling steers.

These prices represent as much as a 60% increase from 12 months ago.

And the higher prices are expected to have a flow-on affect for consumers if they remain elevated.

McDougall and Sons auctioneer David McIvor said the market had been on a steady rise for a few weeks before peaking on Tuesday.

"At Tuesday's cattle sale we saw a rise of about 20 to 30 cents a kilo which is quite substantial compared to recent weeks," he said.

"Locally, yarding numbers have decreased so the prices are a combination of a short supply and unprecedented demand from meat producers.

"It's got to be sustainable - we're in unknown territory with never-before seen prices."

Mr McIvor said cattle farmers across much of eastern Australia were enjoying similarly high prices and estimated New South Wales and Victorian markets could be doing better than Queensland.

"On the Southern Downs our late summer and autumn season have been the best they have ever been," he said.

"I'm confident it (price) would stay relatively high for the rest of winter."

Darryl Hayward is a stud cattle breeder, with about 350 cattle on his 1200-acre property at Felton.

He said current prices were the best that have ever been seen, and profit margins had been better for farmers who had bought up when drought had caused a market drop.

"We used to get about $3 a kilo dead and now we're getting $2.80 live," he said.

"If this price stayed like this all the time it would be good for the industry and people wouldn't be scared to buy if they knew the price was going to stay high."

Beef Bonanza

Cattle prices:

 Last year - 200cents/kg

 Tuesday - 328cents/kg (+60%)