NEW South Wales sheep producers and processors bought almost 40 percent of the AuctionsPlus online offering last week.

AuctionsPlus offered 73,344 sheep and lambs last week, a slight drop of 4353 on the previous week’s offering.

The national clearance rate remained steady at 78pc, with NSW buyers taking home 38pc of the offering, led by the Riverina with 8588 head, mainly scanned in-lamb Merino ewes and crossbred mixed sex lambs. The other NSW regions buying included the western region 5937, the central west 5803, the south-west slopes and plains 3129, the southern tablelands 2265 and the north-west slopes and plains 2109.

Victorians bought 9348 head, mainly in the north-west (3613) and the south-west (2256). South Australia’s central and hills area bought 3639 head and the mid and upper north, 3252. Western Queensland buyers bought 2640 head.

Scanned Merino ewes sell to $265

AuctionsPlus cleared 78pc of the scanned in-lamb Merino ewes offered, which averaged $183 and made from $112.50 up to $265 paid by a Victorian buyer at Quambatook for 363 rising three year-old Merino ewes from Lester & Palmer at Tempy in Victoria. The ewes weighed 58kgs, had a 4cm fleece and were in-lamb to White Suffolk rams. A line of 250 3-4 year-old Merino ewes at Yeoval in NSW sold for $163. The Glenwood blood ewes carried a 4cm fleece, weighed 51kgs and were sold to a South Australian buyer at Mount Compass.

Joined Merino ewes make $246

Station-mated Merino ewes sold from $90 up to $246 for 280 two year-old ewes at Hay, NSW. The Curragh blood ewes weighed 61kgs and had a 6.5cm fleece. Unjoined Merino ewes averaged $139.50, up $12 on last week, and sold from $98 up to $164 for 247 two year-old Wyuna blood ewes at Gilgandra, NSW.

Merino ewe lambs sell for $230

Merino ewe lambs averaged $166, steady on last week, and sold from $115 up to $230 for 225 Orrie Cowie blood Poll Merino lambs from Erskine Pty Ltd at Peterborough in SA. The April/May drop lambs weighed 50kgs and had 6.5cm fleece. At Jarklin in Victoria, 430 ewe lambs sold for $178. The May/June 2018 drop Mutooroo blood lambs weighed 38kgs and had a 2.5cm fleece.

Merino wether price average drops

Merino wethers sold online from $66 up to $126 last week, averaging $107, a drop of $15, but 95pc of the offering sold. The top price was paid for 450 rising two year-old Bundilla blood wethers from the Green Park Pastoral Co at Lake Bolac in Victoria. The wethers weighed 47kgs and had a 4cm fleece. At Yass in NSW, 330 rising three year-old Tallawong blood Merino wethers sold for $110 to a local buyer. The newly shorn wethers weighed 42kgs.

Merino wether lambs averaged $105 and sold from $69 to $153. The top price was paid for 258 September-October 2018 drop Greendale blood lambs from Timmins & Lucas at Cooma, NSWThe lambs weighed 39kgs and had 6.5cm fleece. At Quilpie in Queensland, 520 AMS blood September-October 2018 drop wether lambs made $100. The lambs weighing 35kgs and had 2.5cm fleece.

First cross ewes sell to $268

AuctionsPlus sold scanned in-lamb first cross ewes for $182-$268 last week for an average of $234, up $11. The top price was paid for 175 12-13 month-old ewes weighing 59kg and in-lamb to Poll Dorset rams at Tallimba, NSW.

First cross ewe lambs were in demand and those offered sold for $136.50 to $251, to average $192 up $21. The top price was paid for 240 March-April 2018 drop ewe lambs at Peak Hill, NSW. The 65kg lambs sold to a NSW buyer at Barellan. A line of 388 9-10 month old ewe lambs at Cressy in Victoria sold for $246. The 45kg ewes were scanned in-lamb to Border Leicester rams.

Australian White cross ewes make $201 in Queensland

Other AuctionsPlus highlights include $201 for 610 scanned in-lamb 2-3 year-old Australian White/Dorper cross ewes at Longreach, Queensland. The 60kg ewes were scanned in-lamb to Australian White rams and were sold to a NSW buyer at Broken Hill, NSW. At Coleraine in Victoria, 90 23 month-old scanned in-lamb composite ewes sold for $264. The ewes weighed 68kgs. A line of 73 scanned in-lamb 3-6 year-old White Suffolk cross ewes at Great Western in Victoria made $220. The 64kg ewes were in lamb to Poll Dorset and White Suffolk rams.

Crossbred lambs make up 559c/kg liveweight

Crossbred lambs sold from 343-559c/kg last week, to average 419c/kg, up 17 cents. The top price was paid for 335 July/August 2018 drop Poll Dorset cross lambs from the Gundary Pastoral Co at Junee, NSW. The lambs weighed 27kg lwt and were sold to a NSW buyer at Lockhart. A line of 160 October 2018 drop White Suffolk cross lambs at Tocumwal, NSW, made 429c/kg lwt. The lambs weighed 24kgs and sold to a Victorian buyer at Shelbourne in Victoria.

In Tasmania last week, three lines of mixed sex lambs sold to top price of $187 for 300 White Suffolk cross mixed sex lambs offered by the Earlham Estate at Rheban.  The September/October 2018 drop lambs weighed 49kgs and sold to Victorian buyer. At Glengarry, 120 September/October drop Suffolk cross lambs weighing 31kgs sold for $108. A line of 292 August-September 2018 drop mixed sex first cross lambs weighing 39kg at Fingal made $135.

The National Lamb Sale will resume on Tuesday at 1pm (AEST), driven by demand. The Tuesday National Sheep Sale will follow as normal, at 2pm.