These March 2024 drop Poll Dorset cross lambs weighing 37.8kg at The Rock in NSW sold for $158 on AuctionsPlus last week.

PRICES lifted for scanned in-lamb ewes on AuctionsPlus last week, as the overall sheep and lamb offering increased 63 percent to 33,758 head.

Although the rise was expected as new season lambs come onto the market, the overall market struggled to absorb the larger numbers, AuctionsPlus said.

The average prices in all categories except the SIL ewes and shedding breed lambs fell last week, with clearances most affected in the crossbred, Merino and first cross lambs.

The overall clearance rate was the least affected, suggesting that buyers are still competing for the larger pool of listings, but weren’t willing to reach the prices seen the previous week, AuctionsPlus said.

The crossbred lamb indicator fell 19pc to $127/head and the AuctionsPlus Restocker Lamb indicator dropping 181c to average 688c/kg dressed.

The value over reserve averaged $7/head over set reserves, falling $23 from the previous week. Lots that sold during the auction averaged $12/head above reserve, whereas post-auction transactions averaged $4 under their set reserves.

AuctionsPlus said new season lamb were listed in much larger numbers, with the offering rising almost 200pc from 5965 to 17,690 head.

Last week’s offering made up 82pc of all new season lambs offered for the year. However, the market didn’t react to last week’s offering as it did the previous week, when all lambs sold at much stronger prices. Only 51pc of this week’s offering managed to find a buyer, AuctionsPlus said.

Joined ewes made up the second largest offering behind lambs, with 64pc of the 8036 head offered finding new homes. Three out of the four categories increased in price compared to last week, led by SIL shedding breed ewes, with the average price lifting $148 to $253/head.

The north-west slopes and plains of New South Wales were the largest listing region, with 5373 head offered, of which 2460 were new season lambs. Buyers in this region were willing to go above reserve on average by 7.14pc. Central Western NSW was the second-highest listing region, with 4184 head offered, followed by lower south-east South Australia at 3130 head.

Central Western NSW was the largest purchasing region, securing 4712 head, or 26pc of the total sold offering. The north-west s;lopes and plains came in second with 2058 head purchased.

AuctionsPlus said the offering of crossbred lambs rose a further 143pc on the previous week’s massive surge, with 15,005 head listed. The larger volume impacted prices considerably, with the average price falling $30 to $127. Demand failed to meet the larger supply, resulting in a 53pc clearance rate, AuctionsPlus said. At Cootamundra in NSW, 330 mixed sex May 2024 drop Poll Dorset/Merino cross lambs weighing 22 kg lwt sold for $113/head, or 507 cents/kg live weight.

Shedding breed lambs were the only lamb category to report a price increase, with 84pc of the 1203 head offered selling for an average of $142, up $28. At Morven in QLD, 405 mixed sex December 2023/February 2024 Dorper cross lambs weighing 45kg lwt making $151.

The offering of SIL Merino ewes increased 60pc to 3563 head and the average price paid rose $11 to $109. At Nyngan in NSW, 204 two year-old Merino ewes weighing 56kg sold for $140/head.

AuctionsPlus sold 79pc of the 1218 SIL shedding breed ewes for an average price of $253, up $148. The category had only three lots from a single vendor at Tilpa in NSW. The 960 White Dorper and Dorper ewes weighed 49-53kg and sold from $215-$270.

Note: Prices as at 5pm Thursday, August 9th, 2024.

Source – AuctionsPlus.