These joined Australian White ewe lambs and hoggets sold for $180 at Nyngan in NSW on AuctionsPlus last week.

PRICES for shedding breed and Merino ewe lambs improved in the lamb categories on AuctionsPlus last week.

AuctionsPlus commercial sheep and lamb listings fell 21 percent to 64,486 head last week, with the lamb, sheep, unjoined ewe and ram categories all recording softer listings, while the joined ewe offering lifted 31 percent.

The smaller offering was met with a three percentage point increase in the clearance rate to 59pc. Price Over Reserve fell by $10 to average $4 across all listings.

The AuctionsPlus’ restocker indicator (ARLI) recouped the 48c/kg it lost the previous week and more to sit at 567 cents/kg. At the same time MLA’s Restocker Lamb Indicator, that shows what lambs are being paid for in physical saleyards, fell 23.59c/kg to 516.90 cents.

The average price crossbred lambs fell $3 to $106.  The average price paid for shedding breed lambs rose $22 to $117/head and for Merino ewe lambs rose $2 to $77. Joined ewes mostly recorded price reductions, with scanned in-lamb Merino ewes holding firm. Scanned in-lamb first cross ewes averaged $152, down $35 and joined shedding breed ewes averaged $142, down $37.

Listings fell from all states except Victoria. Purchases fell in all states apart from Queensland. Processors purchased 1920 lots and were active on first cross ewe lambs and crossbred lambs.

The crossbred lamb offering fell 21pc to 13,336, with the average price falling $3 to $106/head for a 90pc clearance. At Casterton in Victoria, 118 mixed sex Poll Dorset cross June/July 2023 drop lambs weighing 35kg lwt sold for $106/head, or 300c/kg to a buyer in Loxton, South Australia.

The 7085 Merino wether lambs offered fell was a 65pc reduction to the 20,399 listed the previous week. AuctionsPlus said prices did not respond favourably to the reduced supply as might have been expected, with a $10/head discount compared to last week and a 74pc clearance rate. At Branxholme in Victoria, 850 August-September 2023 drop composite wethers weighing 32kg lwt made $96/head, or 296c/kg, with a buyer in Swan hill, Victoria.

The Merino ewe hogget offering lifted 12pc to 4052 head. The average price paid rose $18 to $91. However, this didn’t help the clearance, that finished at 36pc, AuctionsPlus said.

Note: Prices as at 5pm Thursday, 7th March 2024

Source – AuctionsPlus.