DEMAND varied for a tighter supply of sheep and lambs on the AuctionsPlus online platform last week.

AuctionsPlus said the trend of consistently tightening supply throughout May continued, with the offering falling six percent to 57,071 sheep and lambs to record the fifth consecutive weekly contraction.

The sharpest price fall was for Merino ewe lambs, whose average price declined $50 to $185/head. This erased all the previous week’s gain of $38, only 60pc of the 1756 head offering was sold, compared to the 4915 head sold in the previous week for a clearance of 72pc.

Declines for the week were also registered for a slightly larger offering of Merino wether lambs, which averaged $11 lower at $137/head – with an 81pc clearance rate for the 13,731 head offered. The 4458 crossbred lambs offered sold to a 71pc clearance rate – averaging $159, down $3.

Higher average prices were registered for first cross ewe lambs, up $23 to $221/head, with a subdued 53pc clearance rate for the 3305 head offered. The robust demand for shedding breeds continued to foster a very high clearance rate of 92pc for the 1451 head offered. Shedding lambs averaged $41 higher last week at $261/head – boosted by two excellent lines of Australian White future breeder ewe lambs, with two 100 head lots selling for $456 and $455.

Prices across all four unjoined ewe categories increased this week, with unjoined Merino ewe hoggets averaging $6 higher at $187/head – with a 79pc clearance rate for the 1425 head offered. Similarly, unjoined Merino ewes jumped $54 to average $243/head. The average price for the composite/other category ewes jumped $26 to $286/head – with a 51pc clearance rate for the 5281 offered.

The two scanned in-lamb ewe categories moved in opposite directions this week, with the Merino ewes slipping back $13, to average $232, with a clearance rate of 53% for the 4727 head offered. The average price for scanned in-lamb first cross ewes increased $20 to $323/head, boosted by increased buyer demand, with the clearance rate hitting 50pc for the 5593 head offered.

NOTE: Prices as at 5pm Thursday, May 27, 2021.