These unshorn September-October 2023 drop Merino wether lambs at Walgett in NSW weighing 34.9kg lwt sold for $67 on AuctionsPlus last week.

AUCTIONSPLUS commercial sheep and lamb listings fell 24 percent to 39,295 head in a short trading week due to the Easter long weekend.

The reduced throughput met with significant price drops, notably the AuctionsPlus restocker indicator known that dropped 156c/kg and is now sitting at 477c/kg.

There was a six percentage point fall in the overall clearance rate to 55 percent, however Value Over Reserve rose by $3 to average $14 across all listings.

The overall lamb yarding was well back, but there was a 253pc increase in the number of Merino wether lambs on offer last week. Producers offered 7884 lambs, up from 2236 the previous week and the increased yarding was met with $4/head increase in price to average $73.

In the ewe categories joined first cross ewes were a stand out, with a 338pc increase in throughput; however, the 285 offered was coming from a small base off last week’s 65 head. Prices were steady.

Scanned in-lamb Merino ewes enjoyed a $22 increase in the average price to $144, with a 56% smaller offering than the previous week.

Listings were down in all states except Western Australia, which re-entered the market to offer 1340 head. New South Wales buying activity halved to just over 10,000 head. Victorian buyers also took home fewer sheep and lambs, while South Australia and Queensland buyers engaged in more buying than previous weeks.

Processors were not active in the online marker for the second week in a row.

There was a 43pc decrease in the crossbred lamb offering and the average price fell $8 to $120/head for an 81pc clearance. At Bombala in NSW, 460 September 2023 drop Poll Dorset cross mixed sex lambs weighing 40kg lwt sold for $135, or 342c/kg, to a buyer in Young, NSW.

The 7884 Merino wether lambs offered this week was a 253pc increase. The average price paid lifted $4 and 77pc were sold. At Hillston in NSW, 170 October 2023 drop Merino wethers weighing 38kg lwt made $70, or 185c/kg, with a buyer in Balranald, NSW.

AuctionsPlus offered 3044 scanned in-lamb composite/other breed ewes, up 103pc. Prices were up by $42/head to record an average price of $150/head; however, the clearance rate was just 39pc.

Note: Prices as at 5pm Thursday, 4th April 2024