These March-April 2024 drop Poll Dorset cross lambs weighing 33.5kg lwt at Coonamble in NSW sold for $170 on Auct5ionsPlus last week.

AUCTIONSPLUS commercial sheep and lamb listings were boosted by an influx of new season lambs last week, lifting the overall offering 62 percent to 20,732 head.

AuctionsPlus said the increased offering was positively received, with all key indicators finishing the week in the green, including a substantial upswing in prices.

The offering jumped due to an influx of new season lambs and comes off the back of record low offerings in recent weeks.

The July lull was reportedly being exacerbated by tough conditions slowing growth of new season lambs – with these new season lambs now starting to hit the market.

The Value Over Reserve lifted a further $10/head, averaging $30/head over set reserves. And the crossbred lamb indicator increased by 32pc to average $156/head. The AuctionsPlus Restocker Lamb Indicator lifted 168 cents to 869c/kg.

Lambs overtook the number of joined ewes offered and accounted for 47pc of listings — up from 34pc the previous week – or from 6008 to 9830 head. More than 6000 crossbred lambs were offered.

Each of the states that listed more lambs and sheep than the previous week, but this was more pronounced in New South Wales, where nearly 6000 more head were made available. NSW also took home about 4000 extra purchases to total 9407, with all other states buying fewer than 1000 head each. There was no processer/feedlot activity.

The crossbred lamb offering increased 281pc to 6174, up from 1619 head. This category also recorded a $38 increase in average price to $156, with a 96pc clearance.

At Coonamble in NSW, 700 mixed sex March/April 2024 drop Poll Dorset cross lambs weighing 40kg lwt sold for $170, or 426c/kg, to a buyer in Tamworth, NSW.

AuctionsPlus offered 1116 Merino wether lambs — a 35pc decrease – and only 30pc sold for an average price of $82.

At Willaura North in Victoria, 330 August/September 2023 drop Merino wethers weighing 31kg lwt sold for $82/head, or 263c/kg, to a buyer in Beulah, Victoria.

The scanned in-lamb Merino ewe offering dropped 40pc to 1589 head. The category had a 78pc clearance rate and the average price fell by $13 to $102.

Scanned in-lamb first cross ewe numbers lifted 27pc to 1386 head, and only 35pc sold with a $7 increase in the average price to $258.

Note: Prices as at 5pm Thursday, August 2, 2024.

Source – AuctionsPlus.