These 14-16 month-old Poll Collinsville blood Merino ewes sold for $140 on AuctionsPlus last week.

Lamb rates finished on a positive trend last week as buyers continued to be keen to purchase quality trade and domestic-type supplies from saleyards.

Mutton rates remained firm as numbers continued to go down.

Meat and Livestock Australia’s National Livestock Reporting Service said the Eastern States Trade Lamb Indicator finished the week on 478c/kg, up six cents on Thursday, with the heavy lamb indicator on 473 cents, up eight cents.

The mutton indicator ended the week on 328 cents, up two cents. The national restocker lamb indicator was at 387 cents on Friday, ranging from 356 cents in Western Australia to 452 cent in South Australia. The national Merino lamb indicator finished the week on 394 cents, ranging from 391 cents in Victoria to 401 cents in Western Australia.

Merino ewe hoggets sell for $140 on AuctionsPlus

AuctionsPlus said sheep and lamb numbers declined by 6000 to 31,115 head, with a slight improvement in Merino ewe prices and other categories remaining steady on last week.

Unjoined Merino ewe hoggets sold from $47.50 to $140, with only one sale under $100. The top price was for well-grown Poll Collinsville blood Raheen Ag ewes a month off-shears at Hay in the Riverina Biosecurity Area. The 275 ewes offered by Elders were sold due to the season running out prior to the company’s big store sale on September 19, when 60,000 sheep are booked. The 14-16 month-old 60kg ewes were ready to join.

Scanned three to five year old Merino ewes in lamb to the Border Leicester sold for $106, and aged scanned ewes made $88.50 to $105.50, AuctionsPlus said.
Merino wether lamb prices were steady on last week, with 2014 drop lines making from
$44.50 to a top of $73 for 39kg Moorundie blood lambs out of South Australia and grown lambs selling to $77 for 41kg Pemcaw blood lambs with an April skin.
New season crossbred lamb rates were back a little on last week, with 34-35kg lambs making $82.50 to $83, 37-38kg drafts from $$82.50 to $92 and the top price was $95 for some 42kg lambs.

New season trade lambs $4-$6 dearer at Cowra

In New South Wales on Friday at the Cowra saleyards, agents yarded 8182 good quality lambs, 1562 more than last week, and 1280 sheep, 120 fewer.

The NLRS said 4500 new season lambs were offered and all buyers operated. Competition was solid, resulting in a dearer trend. The old lambs were mainly well-presented trade and heavy weights. Medium and heavy trade weight new season lambs were $4-$6 dearer and averaged from 490c/kg-505c/kg cwt. Most of the quality heavy trade weights sold from $112-$118. Heavy weight new season lambs were $7 dearer and averaged from 468c/kg-484c/kg cwt. A few pens of extra heavy lambs made $123-$130.

Trade weight old lambs were around $9 dearer and averaged $94.80 or 425c/kg cwt. Heavyweight lambs were $6-$10 stronger and averaged from 440c/kg-450c/kg cwt. The odd pen of extra heavy weight lambs sold from $130-$140.

Mutton numbers remained almost steady and quality was mixed. Medium Merino ewes were $1 dearer and averaged $67.20 or 273c/kg cwt. Heavy first cross ewes were firm and averaged $85 or 281c/kg cwt.

Shepparton lambs sell to $139

In Victoria on Friday at Shepparton, agents yarded 3600 lambs, 748 more than last week, and 600 sheep, 140 fewer.

The NLRS said there were 3000 good quality new season lambs, while the old lambs and mutton remained small and mixed. Demand for young lambs was keen from several domestic buyers and prices averaged $5 dearer than last week.

Plain quality and small numbers were limiting factors in regards to demand and prices for old lambs and mutton, the NLRS said.

Young lambs sold to a top of $139 for a pen estimated at 26-27kg cwt, and it was one of about a dozen sales over $130 for the lead drafts of lambs over 24kg cwt. The most consistent demand was for nicely presented trade and domestic specification lambs that sold from $112-$128 or an estimated 490c/kg-520c/kg cwt. Lighter weight young lambs, 16-20kg, sold from $79 to about $110.

Old lambs were very mixed for quality as the tail-end drafts come through the system. Prices reached a top of $135 for a pen of heavy export lambs, but there were only limited sales over $100. Most of the old lambs were plainer and lighter types that sold from $52-$88. The best quality old lambs sold at about 450c/kg-470c/kg cwt.

Prices were generally firm for mutton, ranging from $52-$98 for good trade weight Merino ewes with a reasonable skin. The mutton sold at about 300c/kg cwt.