NEW season lambs sold firm to dearer and mutton demand remained strong in saleyards and online late last week.
Across the two centres selling on Friday – Cowra and Griffith in New South Wales – light new season lambs with $1-$6 skins made $71-$122, or 493-650c/kg cwt.
Light and medium trade weight young lambs with $1-$7 skins made $115-$149, or 579-650c/kg. The 22.1-24kg new season lambs with $6-Z$7 skins sold for $141-$158, or 587-633c/kg. Heavy young lambs 24.1-30kg with $1-$7 skins made $155-$182, or 585-636c/kg.
Mutton prices continued the strong mid-week trends with Merino ewes selling to $160 at Griffith and crossbred ewes making up to $145.
NLRS indicators firm for main slaughter categories
After Friday’s sales, the National Livestock Reporting Service’s Eastern States Daily Indicators for light, restocker and Merino lambs were slightly lower, but posted big gains for the week. The main trade and heavy slaughter lamb categories were slightly firmer, but lower for the week.
The NLRS ESDI’s for lamb, and their daily and weekly changes, were: restocker 608c/kg, down 1 cents, up 18c; Merino 532c/kg, down 2c, up 36c; light 550c/kg, down 1c, up 20c; trade 582c/kg, up 1c, down 1c; heavy 588c/kg, up 2c, down 7c. The national trade lamb indicator was quoted at 583c/kg and the heavy indice was on 589c/kg.
The ESDI for mutton closed the week down 1 cents to 410c/kg, giving a lift of 10 cents for the week. The national mutton indicator was quoted at 408c/kg.
Griffith’s new season lambs sell firm to $3 dearer
In New South Wales at the Griffith saleyards on Friday, the agents yarded 9800 lambs, 1900 more than last week, and 3600 sheep, 100 fewer.
The NLRS said the yarding included 7700 new season lambs and quality was fair, with good numbers of well-presented finished drafts. There were fewer old lambs, but quality was fair. There was an extra buyer active in THE firm to dearer market.
New season lambs held firm to $3 dearer, with trade weights selling from $115-$149. Heavy and extra heavy weight lambs made $144-$182. Carcase prices averaged 606-632c/kg.
Old lambs were dearer. Trade weights sold from $115-$145. Heavy lambs averaged $147 and extra heavy weights made $154-$215.
Sheep prices were again very strong. Merino ewes sold from $84-$160. Crossbred ewes made $81-$145.
Cowra lambs sell firm
At the Cowra saleyards on Friday, the agents yarded 6850 lambs, 1450 more than last week, and 695 sheep, 95 more.
The NLRS said lamb quality was good across all new season grades. Mainly trade and heavy weights were yarded, including 5000 new season lambs. There were fewer old lambs and quality was varied. All the usual buyers operated and competition was solid, resulting in a generally firm market.
Light new season lambs averaged $114 and stores sold from $88-$114. Medium and heavy trade weight new season lambs sold firm at 605-620c/kg cwt. Most of the well-presented heavy trade weights made $130-$145. Heavy weight new season lambs were mostly firm and averaged around 610-615c/kg cwt. An odd pen of extra heavy weight lambs made $162-$167. Old trade weight lambs sold cheaper at 545-570c/kg or $126.
Sheep quality was mixed. Medium weight first cross ewes were $7 dearer and averaged $83 or 355c/kg cwt. Heavy first cross ewes were $2 dearer and averaged $113 or 360c/kg cwt.
AuctionsPlus listings dominated by new season lambs
New season lambs dominated the 39,762 sheep and lambs listed online by AuctionsPlus last week.
Sucker lambs weighing 17-19kg lwt made $82 or 464c/kg live, including skin value, the 23-27kg lambs made $61-$96.50 to average $83 or 327c/kg live, the 28-30kg lines sold for $93.50-$98.50 to average $95 or 323c/kg live, and the 31-33kg lambs made $95-$134 to average $108 or 337c/kg live. The 34-36kg lambs made $100.50-$129 to average $113 or 321c/kg live, the 37-38kg lines sold from $107.50-$117 to average $112 or 297c/kg live, and the 40kg-plus drafts made $100-$121.50 to average $111 or 270c/kg live.
A line of 350 mid-April shorn August-September drop Egelabra blood Merino ewe lambs at Coonamble, NSW, made $151 last week. The lambs weighed 47.2kg lwt and were mostly score 2. Maiden Merino ewes, 16-17 months old, mid-August shorn, 52kg lwt and mostly score 3 sold for $196 at Deniliquin, NSW. This category averaged $149.
A line of 527 unjoined 2-4 year-old mid-April shorn Merino ewes, 67.5kg and mostly score 3 and 4, made $153 at Dunedoo, NSW. AuctionsPlus said prices for proven breeders were back a little this week in numbers, but still made solid prices. A line of 300 5 year-old late-July shorn Merino ewes at Wellington, NSW, made $125. The ewes weighed 47.8kg, were mostly score 2, and scanned 100 percent in lamb to White Suffolk rams to commence lambing mid-spring. The average price for this category was $111.
Merino wether lambs presented well this week, averaging $96. A line of 500 March-April drop June-shorn Pooginook blood lambs weighing 16.3kg cwt made the top price of $109. Merino hogget numbers were slightly down in comparison to lambs this week and prices averaged $81.
A line of 1200 4-6 year old early-March shorn export wethers, 28.6kg cwt and mostly score 3, from Louth, NSW topped the category at $109.
First cross ewe numbers were slightly down this week and sold to $226 at Trangie, NSW, for 440 11-12 month old unjoined early-July shorn ewe lambs. The lambs weighed 55.5kg lwt and were mostly score 4. Maiden first cross ewes averaged $205. Proven breeders sold to $125 for 279 5-7 year old early-December shorn ewes, 69.2kg lwt and score 3, at Wagga Wagga, NSW. The ewes weaned 132pc of lambs this year.
A line of 260 station-mated White Dorper ewe lambs made $143 from Ivanhoe, NSW, and will be heading south to the Murray River at Swan Hill, Victoria. The 4-9 month-old ewes weighed 49.2kg lwt and were mostly score 3.
The National Dorper and White Dorper Sale held by Elders and Landmark at Dubbo, NSW last week offered 218 lots comprising of White Dorper and Dorper rams as well ewes. AuctionsPlus had 165 bids over the duration of the sale and successfully purchased 11 lots online with 63 bidders and 192 guests viewing the sale.
Sources: MLA, NLRS, AuctionsPlus.
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