These mixed sex Poll Dorset cross lambs weighing 39.1kg lwt at Mansfield in Victoria sold for $170 on AuctionsPlus last week.

LAMB price averages dropped $11-$101 on AuctionsPlus last week as the overall sheep and lamb offering fell 21 percent to 45,316 head.

AuctionsPlus said the onset of milder weather coupled with rain and flood events across key sheep and lamb regions in New South Wales and Queensland has maintained the reduced online offerings.

Despite the smaller offering demand remained unchanged, as clearance rates at the immediate close for sheep and lamb auctions averaged 57pc, while post-sale negotiations lifted final figure to 76pc, as vendors largely lowered reserves to meet the market.

The 19,918 lambs offered accounted for 44pc of total listings. While clearance rates remained robust despite the 13pc decline, prices across all five key lamb categories offered this week declined to be $11-$101/head lower than the previous week’s averages.

The 12,097 crossbred lambs offered made up 27pc of the total catalogue. The average prices eased $30 to $156/head, and the clearance rate rose 16pc to 88pc. A highlight for the category was 700 mixed sex White Suffolk/Poll Merino lambs weighing 41kg lwt at Bornholm, Western Australia, that sold for $143 to a South Australian buyer at Loxton.

Merino wether lambs averaged $122/head, down $28, and 78pc of the 4657 head offered were sold. Merino ewe lambs had the smallest price slip in the lamb categories, averaging $208 to be back $11. Only 40pc of 712 head offered sold.

Joined ewe prices lift

AuctionsPlus said sheep listings made up the majority of the catalogue last week, with mixed results and no clear trend across the categories. The 17,664 joined ewes made up 39pc of the weekly offering and the three largest categories – scanned in-lamb Merino ewes, SIL first cross ewes and SIL composite/other breed ewes — all recorded higher average prices.

The 5102 SIL Merino ewes held firm and 90pc eventually sold, up from the 56pc clearance rate immediate following the Tuesday sheep sale. The average prices rose $8 to $234. A highlight was 680 3-6 year-old ewes in two lines at Parkes, NSW, that weighed 59kg lwt and made $285/head. Topping the category and selling for $100 over their reserve price were 130 SIL 1.6-2.8 year-old Merino ewes at Durham, Victoria, that averaged 66kg lwt and sold for $336 to a buyer in Canowindra, NSW.

After $51 contraction in average price the previous week, SIL first cross ewes prices rose to average $303, up $54. The offering increased by more than 2000 head to 5277 head – 12pc of the total weekly offering. AuctionsPlus said the increased throughput was well-received from the buyers, and the clearance rate rose by 35pc post-sale to reach 68pc after negotiations.

All the 3775 SIL composite/other breed ewes offered sold, with the average prices rising $11 to $276/head.

Merino wethers average $28 lower

The average price for the 2355 Merino wethers offered eased $28 to $114/head. The mainly higher quality offering met steady demand and the clearance rates reached 45pc.

Unjoined ewe numbers were again limited this week, with fewer than 1000 in both the Merino ewe and hogget categories. The 1212 unjoined first cross ewes was the largest offering for the week, and prices held firm at $228/head, with a clearance rate of 55pc. At Nyngan in NSW, 101 first cross ewes weighing 67kg lwt made $233.

The average price for the 1210 unjoined shedding breed ewes lifted $27 to $266 and 73pc were sold.

NOTE: Prices as at 5pm, Thursday 19th May 2022

Source: AuctionsPlus.