NEW South Wales producers dominated online sheep and lamb buying last week, after rainfall in the state’s west and Riverina regions, and into central and western Queensland and parts of Victoria.

NSW buyers snapped up about 65 percent of the sheep and lambs offered on AuctionsPlus last week, with most going into the central west (9339), Riverina (9501), south-west slopes and plains (8185) and the western region (1600).

AuctionsPlus operations manager Tom Rookyard said rainfall in central and western Queensland, western NSW, the Riverina and Victoria has filled dams and eased pressure on producers.

AuctionsPlus sheep and lamb numbers last week held firm at 44,647 head, down by 950 head. Mr Rookyard said last week’s sale – with its 84 percent clearance — was quoted as the strongest online sheep and lamb sale for several months by a Queensland agent.

New South Wales sellers also dominated the national offering, listing 35,591 sheep and lambs, about 15,000 more than the previous week. Western Australia was the only other state to list an increased offering of 200 head, up 163.

The sheep and lamb offerings in all other states dipped – in Queensland, down 6160 to 5121 head; in Victoria, down 6149 to 10,792; in South Australia, down 1318 to 1452, and; in Tasmania, down 14 to 480.

Scanned Merino ewes make up a quarter of online offering

Scanned in-lamb Merino ewes made up 25 percent of the AuctionsPlus offering last week and 89pc were cleared as buyers sought ewes set to produce spring lambs. Scanned in-lamb ewe hoggets sold from $145 to $251, with an average of $197. The top-priced mob was a line of Pooginook blood, classed breeders at Deniliquin, NSW, scanned to Pooginook rams.

Grown and mixed age scanned in-lamb Merino ewes sold from $157 to $232, with an average of $192. Unjoined Merino ewe hoggets sold from $91 to $160, to average $134.

Merino wethers lambs sell to $153.50

Mr Rookyard said all the 6000 Merino wethers offered last week were sold. Merino wether lambs sold from $104 to $153.50, with an average of $132, and grown wethers made $119 to $148, averaging $129. The top price was paid for a line of August-September 2018 drop Plevna blood lambs with a 4 cm fleece at Trundle, NSW.

Scanned in-lamb first cross ewe hoggets make $266

A line of scanned in-lamb 11-12 month-old first cross ewe hoggets at Beulah in Victoria sold for $266. The ewe hoggets offered online averaged $251, making from $237 to $266. First cross ewe lambs averaged $190 and sold from $134 to $221.

Store lambs clear online

AuctionsPlus offered 8300 store lambs last week and all were sold. Prices included:

• White Suffolk cross, $182.50 or 445c/kg lwt, 41kg lwt, Aug/Sept 2018 drop, Walgett, NSW
• Poll Dorset cross, $167 or 420c/kg, 39.7kg, July/Aug 2018, Coolac, NSW
• Poll Dorset cross, $166 or 425c/kg, 39kg, Aug/Sept 2018, Cathcart, NSW
• Composite wethers, $164.50 or 430c/kg, 38.2kg, Aug/Sept 2018, Coolah, NSW
• Poll Dorset cross, $160 or 431c/kg, 37.1kg, Aug/Sept 2018, Glen Innes, NSW
• Composite wethers, $154 or 465c/kg, 33.1kg, Aug/Sept 2018, Coolah, NSW
• Dohne mixed sex, $148.50 or 411c/kg, 36.1kg, Aug/Sept 2018, Forbes, NSW
• Poll Dorset cross, $147 or 410c/kg, 35.8kg, July/Aug 2018, 35.8kg, Warialda, NSW