These May-June 2021 drop White Suffolk-cross ewe lambs at Booroowa, NSW, sold for $190 on AuctionsPlus last week.

INITIAL buying demand waned on AuctionsPlus last week, with post-sale negotiations needed to boost clearance rates after several weeks of high new season lamb offerings.

The online sheep and lamb numbers remained high at 153,820 head – just 7 percent below the listings of the previous week.

Top purchasing regions included New South Wale’s Riverina region (13,923 head), Central West NSW (10,307 head) and the NSW South West Slopes and Plains of (8,801 head).

New season lamb numbers totalled 106,046 head this week, with mixed results across the six categories, as lighter lines and reduced buyer tenacity resulted in decreased clearance rates.

Crossbred lambs totalled 49,571 head, 33pc of the total sheep and lamb offering.

Most of the crossbred lamb offering came from Victoria (42pc), NSW (32pc) and South Australia (26pc). Prices ranged from $103-$190, to average $152/head, back $11.

The crossbred lamb market lacked buying depth at auction this week, with the clearance at the conclusion of the sale only hitting 41pc. Negotiations following the auction bostered the clearance rate to 62pc – albeit still reduced from the previous week’s 71pc.

AuctionsPlus offered 18.070 Merino wether lambs, or 12pc of the catalogue. Prices for the category averaged $138/head, down $2. Demand for heavier, high quality lines was apparent, with the category achieving a 50pc clearance at auction and a further 17pc selling post-sale.

There were 13,264 first cross ewe lambs listed, 9pc of the total sheep and lamb offering. Prices for the category averaged $240/head, slipping a further $7/head as the category recorded its fourth consecutive week of price reductions.

Producers listed 9060 Merino ewe lambs, with South Australia accounting for 92pc of the offering. The category averaged $190/head, up $8, recording its third consecutive week of price increases. However, AuctionsPlus said results for this category must be interpreted with caution, as the category returned an unusually low clearance rate at only 10pc, as vendors set reserves well beyond buyers’ willingness.

The Merino wether lamb offering increased to 5326 head, 3pc of the catalogue. Prices for the category ranged from $101-$172, to average $144/head, back $5, with a clearance rate of 75pc.

Joined ewes were scarce, but AuctionsPlus listed 11,041 unjoined Merino ewes and 14,048 ewe hoggets. Unjoined Merino ewes averaged $231/head and the hoggets averaged $263/head, an increase of $11 for both categories.

NOTE: Prices as at 5pm, Thursday 5th November, 2021