These unshorn August-September 2023 drop Egelabra blood Merino wether lambs weighing 40.3kg lwt at The Marra in NSW sold for $91 or 494c/kg cwt on AuctionsPlus last week.

PRICES for Merino wether lambs increased on AuctionsPlus last week, despite a 40 percent increase in the offering from producers.

The average price for the 11,792 Merino wether lambs offered last week increased $6 to $67, and 77 percent were sold at $28-$121. At Charlton in Victoria, 349 April/May 2023 drop Poll Merino wether lambs weighing 51.6kg lwt sold for $121, or 234.5c/kg, to a South Australian buyer.

The only other lamb category to lift in price were the composite/other breed lambs, with just 37pc of the 2904 offered, selling from $96-$112 for an average of $100, up $4.

AuctionsPlus said its commercial sheep and lamb listings rose 20pc to 77,452 head. The larger offering was met with a 19pc drop in the clearance rate to 42pc. Value Over Reserve rose by $3 to average $6 across all listings.

Lamb prices were mixed with all categories making small movements either up or down, AuctionsPlus said.

The shedding breed lamb offering lifted 152pc and all sold at $60-$119 to average $112. The average price for the 13,068 crossbred lambs fell $5 to $100 (range $35-$131). At Griffith in New South Wales, 172 June/July 2023 drop mixed sex Poll Dorset/composite cross lambs weighing 41.5kg lwt made $131/head, or 315c/kg, with a NSW buyer at Orange.

Joined Ewes were also mixed with a fall of $23/head for SIL Merinos and a lift in SIL and SM Shedding Breed Ewes. The scanned in-lamb first cross ewes and unjoined Merino ewe offerings dropped about 60pc. The average price for unjoined first cross ewes fell $62 to $62 – range $50-$100.

AuctionsPlus offered 4605 Merino ewe hoggets, up 14pc, but only 24pc sold from $75-$100 to average $91.

Listings fell in Queensland but lifted 5459 head in South Australia, to a total of 11,993. Purchases fell in all states. Processor purchases declined this week, with just 1507 head of ewes and wethers sold.

Note: Prices as at 5pm Thursday, 14th March 2024

Source – AuctionsPlus.