These August shorn June-July 2020 drop Hazeldean Merino ewe lambs sold for $320 in two lines of 210 at Pyramid Hill in Victoria last week.

LAMB prices were mostly slightly cheaper to dearer for all categories except shedding and composite breed lines on AuctionsPlus  last week.

The AuctionsPlus sheep and lamb offering increased by 53 percent to 120,638 head, with New South Wales offering 64pc of the catalogue, as the new season lamb turn-off hit.

Central Western NSW was the top purchasing region, securing 16,006 head, followed by the NSW Riverina with 15,828 head and north-west Victoria, with 12,429 head.

The new season lamb offering increased to 87,603 head. Mixed results were achieved across the six categories, with Merino ewe, wether, and first cross ewe lamb categories averaging higher, while prices in crossbred, shedding breed and composite lamb categories registered price reductions.

Merino wether lambs made up 54pc of the total lamb offering, as it lifted 107pc to 47,525 head. The lift in numbers was driven primarily by NSW producers who listed 78pc of the category, although 54pc of these were sold interstate into Victoria, AuctionsPlus said. Despite the massive jump in wether lamb listings this week, demand remained robust, with the average price rising $4 to $146 and 92pc of lots selling.

Merino ewe lambs recorded the largest price increase across the lamb categories, with prices averaging $49 higher at $259. The category registered a 100pc clearance of the 2475 head listed.

Joined ewe categories also recorded mixed results last week. The number of scanned in-lamb Merino ewes increased by 33pc to 3363 head, and 88pc were sold at an average price of $220, $51/head lower. The average price for scanned in-lamb shedding breed ewes rose $91 to $689/head. The top prices of $1135 and 1130 were paid for two even lines of 1.5 year-old scanned in-lamb Australian White ewes weighing 62kgs at Cunnamulla in Queensland.

Unjoined Merino ewe hogget listings increased by 65pc to 5828 head and despite the reduced clearance of 66pc, the category averaged $9 dearer at $260/head. Two lines of Merino ewe hoggets from Northampton and Badgingarra in Western Australia totalling 835 head made $260 and $255 with a Victorian buyer at Wycheproof.

NOTE: Prices as at 5pm, Thursday 2nd September, 2021