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Online sheep and lamb clearances lift for smaller offering

Sheep Central, September 13, 2021

CLEARANCES increased with a drop in AuctionsPlus’ sheep and lamb offering last week, with stronger demand in several lamb, ewe and ewe-lamb categories.

The online sheep and lamb offering fell 19 percent to 97,981 head, but more than half the categories achieved clearances of more than 80 percent.

Central West New South Wales remained the top purchasing region again, securing 18,890 head – with 26pc of purchases consisting of Merino wethers and wether lambs. This was a strong indicator of producer intentions to grow stock out into the warmer months, AuctionsPlus said.

NSW Riverina producers purchased 14,166 head, followed by buyers in the south-west slopes and plains who bought 9310 head.

Producers offered 57,235 new season lambs and averaged prices were higher in four of the six categories. The first cross ewe lamb offering increased to 8538 head and the average price rose $50 to $309. Crossbred lamb numbers decreased to 18,714 head and robust demand delivered an 89pc clearance rate and the average price rose $1 to $162.

The offering of Merino wether lambs decreasing by 60pc to 19,143 head. New South Wales producers offered 13,785 head, 24,238 less than the previous week. However, even with the sharp contraction and a 97pc clearance rate, Merino wether lambs averaged $2 cheaper this week, at $144.

The offering of unjoined Merino ewe hoggets increased to 21,024 head, and the clearance rate rose to 87pc with an increase in average price of $22 to $282/head. A line of 350 unjoined Merino ewe hoggets at Coonalpyn in South Australia weighing 59.2kg liveweight made $350.

The average price of the very thin supply of Merino ewes and lambs averaged $103 higher at $336, with a 100pc clearance rate. A line of 245 6 year-old unjoined Merino ewes with lambs at Nyngan made the top price of $372. The ewes weighed 70kg liveweight and went to a NSW buyer at Cobar.

A small offering of 215 station-mated first cross ewes sold for an average price of $232, $26 higher than the previous week. While only 882 station-mated shedding breed ewes were offered, demand for the category remained very high, with a 100% clearance rate, and prices averaged $14 higher, at $326.

NOTE: Prices as at 5pm, Thursday 9th September, 2021

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