These 51.9kg 13-14 month first cross ewe hoggets at Hargraves in central west New South Wales sold for $90 on AuctionsPlus last week.

LAMB prices were firm to mostly lower on AuctionsPlus last week, with a slightly smaller offering of 70,078 commercial sheep and lambs.

AuctionsPlus said the overall clearance lifted by 7 percentage points to finish the week at 69 percent, while the overall market registered cheaper trends.

All lamb categories reduced in value and only a handful of other categories had “green ink,” AuctionsPlus said. Value over reserve fell by $1 to average $7 above set reserves.

This week’s offering was made up mainly of lambs, with the offering up 19pc to 50,767 head. All other category offerings fell, with the unjoined ewes back 30pc to 15,428 head, driven by a smaller yarding of Merino ewe hoggets and ewes.

New season lambs accounted for 47,267 head this week, the highest number for 2023, with the offering seeing stronger than the average demand at a 73pc clearance rate. Prices averaged $58/head for the new seasons, falling by $1.

The crossbred lamb offering increased to 27,802 head. Prices remained firm at an average of $62/head with a 74pc clearance. At Henty in New South Wales, two even lines of 650 June/July 2023 mixed sex Poll Dorset cross lambs weighing 39kg lwt sold for $82/head, or 210c/kg lwt.

The Merino wether lamb offering dropped to 9,953 head, and the average price decreasing by $7 to $36/head. Demand was strong for the offering, with 93pc of the listings securing a buyer. At Yass in NSW, 470 August/September 2022 drop Merino wether lambs weighing 37kg lwt made $73/head, or 198c/kg with a buyer at Coleraine in Victoria.

Merino ewe hogget numbers fell back by 54pc to 5759 head. The smaller yarding was met with some stronger competition, with the average price increasing $11 to $101/head. At Condobolin in NSW, 231 15-16 month-old Poll Merino ewes weighing 78kg sold for $166/head.

Note: Prices as at 5pm Thursday, 26th October 2023