These 2.5-5.5 year-old Greenfields blood Merino ewes sold for $191 for a Narromine wool grower last week.

CAUTIOUS bidding lowered clearance rates for a reduced AuctionsPlus sheep and lamb offering last week.

The number of sheep and lambs offered through AuctionsPlus commercial sales last week contracted 10 percent to 109,382 head.

AuctionsPlus said cautious buying activity through the joined sheep lines contributed to a subdued 57pc clearance rate for the week and lower average prices through all categories.

“Overall market sentiment through the lamb lines continues to be mixed, with post-auction negotiations continuing to encourage the buyers, as vendors lowered initial reserves to lock in sales.”

Merino wether lambs comprised 17pc of the week’s offering, and they averaged $134, up $7. The clearance rate for the 18,848 head offered jumped from 40pc to 78pc after two days of post-sale negotiations. A line of 1030 April-May 2021 drop Merino wether lambs weighing 47.7kg liveweight at Winton in Queensland sold for $150/head.

Crossbred lambs also recorded higher prices and a lower clearance rate on last week, at $151/head – up $6, with a final clearance of 48pc the 9034 head offered. Merino ewe lambs averaged $153/head, down $5, despite a comparatively high 83pc clearance rate for the 1983 head offered.

Composite/other breed lambs were the strongest performers in the lamb category for the week. With strong buyer competition for the 5,634 head offered, an 82pc clearance rate was achieved, with prices averaging $176, up $16. At Coleraine in Victoria, 865 July 2021 drop mixed sex store composite lambs weighing 33kg lwt made $147.

The average price for shedding lambs contracted $105 to $268/head. Following the previous week’s trend, clearance for the breed was also subdued. At the sale’s end only 37pc of the 4758 head had been sold, but this rose to 67pc over the following two days.

Across the proven joined ewe lines, scanned in-lamb Merino ewes followed a similar demand trend to the previous week, finishing at a 50pc clearance rate for the 15,709 head offered. Scanned in-lamb Merino ewe prices averaged $236, $8 lower. Sales of scanned in-lamb first cross ewes also had a softer immediate finish, averaging $255, down $34. Scanned in-lamb shedding breed ewes achieved the strongest clearance rate, highlighting the continued demand, returning a 94pc clearance for the 2096 head offered at an average price of $417, down $31.

At Tullamore in New South Wales, 195 unjoined 19-20 month-old Merino ewes weighing 64kg made $323. The January shorn ewes carried a 17.5 micron fleece.

NOTE: Prices as at 5pm, Thursday 17rd March 2022

Source: AuctionsPlus.