These mixed sex March-April 2024 drop Poll Dorset cross lambs at Carcoar in NSW sold for $143 or 1014c/kg cwt on AuctionsPlus last week.

SHEEP and lamb clearances improved with the 15 percent reduction in the AuctionPlus offering to 30,045 head last week.

AuctionsPlus said the overall clearance rate for commercial sheep and lamb listings last week lifted nine percent to 81pc.

Value Over Reserve lifted $6/head to average $16/head over set reserves.

However, lamb prices generally fell or held firm after a strong run, with the average price for crossbred lambs decreasing by $12 or 9pc to average $120. The AuctionsPlus Restocker Lamb Indicator dropped 152 cent5s to average 510c/kg carcase weight.

Joined ewes made up most of the offering with 14,292 head, or 4pc of the total. Lambs made up the second largest pool at 10,914 head, or 36pc of the offering.

Listings and purchasers were predominantly from New South Wales, even though the state offered more than 4000 fewer head than the previous week.

AuctionsPlus said processer and feedlot activity dropped back to less than half a percent of the offering; a large fall from 5.17pc the previous week.

AuctionsPlus sold 94pc oi the 3555 crossbred lambs for an average price of $120, down $12. At Coleraine in Victoria, 400 mixed sex July/August 2023 from Poll Dorset cross lambs weighing 37kg lwt sold for $150, or 404c/kg, to a buyer in Jamestown, South Australia.

The number of Merino wether lambs offered increased 96pc to 5863 head, and 97pc were sold for an average price of $70, down $3 from the previous week. At Thallon in Queensland, 239 August /September 2023 drop Merino wethers weighing 42kg lwt sold for $97, or 231c/kg lwt, to a buyer in Condamine, Queensland.

The offering of scanned in-lamb Merino ewes increased 3pc to 7049 head and 74pc were sold for an average price of $110, up $4.

The scanned in-lamb first cross ewe offering dropped 6pc to 3016 head and 60pc were sold for an average price of $158, down $1.

Note: Prices as at 5pm Thursday, July 4, 2024.

Source – AuctionsPlus.