These mixed sex January-April 2024 drop White Suffolk cross lambs weighing 34.9kg at West Wyalong in NSW sold for $150 on AuctionsPlus last week.

CROSSBRED, Merino wether and shedding breed lamb prices dropped online last week with a sharp increase in the AuctionsPlus offering.

AuctionsPlus commercial sheep and lamb listings rose 92 percent to 55,873 head and the overall clearance rate dipped 13pc to 70pc.

All other indicators reflected the struggle to absorb the large offering of the back of last week’s significantly smaller yarding, AuctionsPlus said.

The crossbred lamb indicator dropped 3pc to average of $144 a head. The AuctionsPlus Restocker Lamb indicator had a similar negative performance, falling 97c/kg to average 701c/kg dressed.

AuctionsPlus said the value over reserve averaged $10/head over set reserves, falling $3. Lots that sold during the auction averaged $14/head above reserve averaging $145/head, with the figure slightly above post-auction transactions.

The new season lamb offering made a sharp recovery from the previous week, lifting 150pc to 36,301 head. The week’s numbers fell just shy of the boom in new season lambs offered a fortnight ago, with 37,195 listed in the week ending August 30, AuctionsPlus said. The sucker category made up 65pc of the total online offering.

AuctionsPlus cleared 83pc of the new season lambs offered, down from 97pc the previous week. The average price remained steady at $128.

Listings increased significantly in New South Wales, with numbers up 18,904 from last week. Queensland experienced a slight reduction in numbers from the week prior. However, listings in South Australia and Victoria recovered significantly. Victoria experienced the greatest change, listing an additional 5054 bringing the total offered to 7,335.

The NSW Riverina remained the highest listing region, with its 12,085 head making up 27pc of the week’s total sheep and lamb offerings across the platform.

AuctionsPlus offered 20,643 crossbred lambs, up 285pc, and prices eased to average $125, down $23.

The Merino wether lamb offering increased 54pc to 15,220 head and those sold averaged $96, $19 down.

At Lorquon in Victoria, 120 July/August 2023 drop first cross ewes weighing 79kg sold for $392/head, or 497c/kg lwt to a buyer in Horsham.

First cross ewe lamb prices held steady, averaging $169. However, the clearance rate fell to 34pc, down from 68pc the previous week. At Narromine in NSW, 71 July/August drop Australian White/Australian White ewes weighing 79kg sold for $250/head, or 316c/kg lwt, to a buyer in Condobolin, NSW.

Unjoined Merino ewe hoggets averaged $143, up $61/head. Listing numbers for the category were up 226pc to 5621.

Note: Prices as at 5pm Thursday, September 12, 2024.

Source – AuctionsPlus.