These September-October 2022 drop Australian White ewe lambs sold for $167 at Condoblin NSW on AuctionsPlus last week.

MERINO and crossbred lamb prices improved on AuctionsPlus last week as overall sheep and lamb listings fell 9 percent to 70,989 head, but were higher than the same week in 2021 and 2022.

AuctionsPlus said the average value over reserve eased $1-$9 and the overall clearance rate fell 8 percent to finish the week at 48pc, climbing from 38pc at the close of auctions on Tuesday.

A smaller offering of lambs resulted in higher prices, while the average price dropped for a bigger catalogue of scanned in-lamb Merino ewe lots. AuctionsPlus said.

Interestingly, purchases of lambs and sheep were concentrated around New South Wale’s Riverina and south-west slope regions, the online marketplace said. Listings were more evenly spread across northern NSW, suggesting the movement of commercial sheep and lamb from northern NSW to regions further south, AuctionsPlus said.

These July 2022 drop Southdown cross lambs sold for $121 on AuctionsPlus at Penshurst in Victoria last week.

AuctionsPlus sold 73pc of the 12,635 crossbred lambs registered for an average of $109/head, up $11. Prices ranged from 187-346c/kg live, or an average of 302c/kg lwt. At Mingbool in South Australia, 957 August/September 2022 drop Poll Dorset cross mixed sex lambs weighing 40kg sold for $132/head, or 331c/kg lwt.

AuctionsPlus sold 59pc of the 10,106 Merino wether lambs offered were sold, for an average $76/head, up $11 on last week. Prices ranged from 192-270c/kg live and averaged 205c/kg lwt. At Glenorchy in Victoria, 350 August/September 2022 drop Merino store wether lambs weighing 36kg made $87/head or 239c/kg lwt.

Only 27pc of the 8940 scanned in-lamb Merino ewes offered were sold, for from $90-$210 to average $148, down $3. At Wee Waa in NSW, 235 21-22 month-old scanned in-lamb Merino ewes weighing 65kg sold for $177, $42 over the reserve price.

AuctionsPlus sold 62pc of the 3698 joined shedding breed ewes for prices ranging from $145-$208 and averaging $198, down $46. At Hermidale in NSW, 1500 March/April 2022 drop joined Australian White weighing 48kg sold in four lines for from $200-$208, averaging $205.

Note: Prices as at 5pm Tuesday, 12th May 2023.