This line of 360 July-August drop composite lambs, 18kg cwt and most score 2 and 3, sold for $106 at Winchelsea, Victoria, on AuctionsPlus last week.

SALEYARD lamb prices continued to firm late last week as supplies tightened and AuctionsPlus also reported fewer store lamb listings.

Trade and heavy lambs lifted $2-$5 at the Cowra and Griffith saleyards on Friday, with fewer quality domestic drafts available and most showing dryness, apart from those coming off feedlots.

Light lamb prices also improved in saleyards with continued restocking inquiry, with 12-18kg lambs with $1-$12 skins making $60-$102, or 360-565c/kg.

Light and medium trade lambs, 18.1-22kg cwt, with skins valued at up to $11 sold for $95-$124, and heavier 22-24kg lambs with similar skins made $118-$138, or 479-533c/kg.

Heavier lambs over 24kg with skins value at up to $12 made $132-$185, or 440-540c/kg.

NLRS lamb indicators firm to higher

After Friday’s saleyard sales, the National Livestock Reporting Service’s Eastern States Daily Indicators for lambs, their daily and weekly changes, were: restocker 519c/kg, up 3 cents, down 11c; Merino 471c/kg, up 1c, down 4c; light 500c/kg, no change, down 6c; trade 500c/kg, up 1c, down 12c; heavy 502c/kg, up 1c, down 4c. The national trade lamb indicator closed up 2 cents to 501c/kg and the heavy indice finished on 502c/kg, up 1 cent.

The ESDI for mutton closed firm on 287c/kg on Friday, but down 11 cents for the week, and the national mutton indicator was unchanged on 288c/kg.

AuctionsPlus offering jumps 15,000

AuctionsPlus’ sheep and lamb offerings continued to increase last week with hot and dry conditions across most areas, although parts of northern and western Queensland received up to 250mm of rain.

Online sheep and lamb numbers increased by 15,000 to 82,715, including two on-farm feature Merino sales. Breeding ewes made up almost two-thirds of the offering. Store lamb listings continued their seasonal decline.

Maiden Merino ewes sold from $46.50 to a top of $150 for 160 late November shorn two-year-old ewes at Swan Hill, 63.8kg lwt and mostly score 4 and 5, and 100 percent scanned in lamb to Poll Dorset and White Suffolk rams. Merino ewe lambs topped at $95.50 for a line 460 April-May drop late January shorn lambs at Forbes, NSW. They weighed 40.1kg lwt and were mostly score 2.

Young scanned-in-lamb Merino ewes made $125 to a top of $150 for 160 rising two year old late November shorn ewes 100pc in lamb to White Suffolk and Poll Dorset rams at Swan Hill. The ewes weighed 63.8kg lwt and were mostly score 4 and 5. Older Merino ewes sold to restockers from $73.50 up to $159.50 for a line of 223 4.5 year-old early November shorn ewes scanned in lamb to White Suffolk rams at Maitland, NSW. The ewes weighed 70.1 kg and were mostly score 2 and 3.

First cross ewes sold to $155. This was paid for 108 22-24 month-old mid-September shorn ewes at Deniliquin station-mated to White Suffolk and Poll Dorset rams. These ewes weighed 58.3kg lwt and were mostly score 3. A line of 110 3-4 year-old late July shorn 3-4 year-old first cross ewes 100pc scanned in lamb to White Suffolk rams sold for $155 at Gre Gre South in Victoria. A line of 640 July-August drop first cross ewe lambs at Holbrook, NSW, sold for $125. These mid-February shorn lambs weighed 38.6kg lwt and were mostly score 2.

There was strong buyer interest in a larger offering of Merino wether lambs last week, which sold from $44.50-$96.50 to average $64. The top price was for 640 woolly, September drop Roseville Park blood lambs from Narromine. The August-September drop lambs weighed 17.1kg cwt and were mostly score 1. Grown wethers made $65-$82 to average $76.

Store lambs 29-31kg lwt sold from $70.50-$88 to average $81.50 or 273c/kg lwt including skin value, 32-34kg lambs made $78-$98 to average $89.50 or 272c/kg, 36-38kg lambs sold from $75-$106, averaging $92 or 251c/kg, and 39-41kg lambs ranged from $90-$109 to average $97.50 or 247c/kg.

AuctionsPlus said heavier lambs to slaughter weighing 19-24kg dressed made 477-482c/kg carcase weight including skin value, although with an added freight component from northern NSW and southern Queensland to a Victorian processor, these prices become more in line with current indicators.

Griffith’s trade lambs lift $3-$4

In New South Wales at the Griffith saleyards on Friday, the agents yarded 6500 lambs, 100 more than last week, and 2000 sheep, 300 fewer.

The NLRS said lamb quality continued to be mixed. There were some handy lines of finished lambs and the plainer drier types. Most were heavy and extra heavy lambs. Most of the usual buyers competed in a slightly dearer market.

Light lambs lifted $4 to sell from $94-$102. Trade weights were $3-$4 dearer at $105-$123. Heavy and extra heavy lambs were $2-$3 dearer. Heavy lambs sold from $123-$138 and extra heavies made $138-$182. Carcase prices mostly ranged from 489-520c/kg cwt. Heavy Merino lambs sold from $120-$150.

The sheep were mostly Merinos and quality was mixed. Prices remained similar to previous sales with Merino ewes selling from $76-$106. Crossbred ewes sold from $76-$104.

Cowra’s trade lambs up $4

In the Cowra saleyards on Friday, the agents yarded 5210 lambs, 770 fewer than last week, and 710 sheep, 930 fewer.

The NLRS said lamb quality was generally mixed. The extra heavy grades were well-presented, while the remainder of the yarding tended to show dryness. Mainly heavy weights were penned, with a limited number of trade lambs and fewer stores. All the usual buyers operated and competition was slightly better resulting in a dearer market.

Light lambs sold to processors averaged $98. Store lambs were dearer and averaged around $80. Medium and heavy trade weights were $4 dearer and mainly sold from 485-500c/kg cwt. Most of the heavy trade weights made $115-$121. Heavy weight lambs showed plenty of weight and sold $2-$5 dearer at mostly 480-505c/kg cwt. A few pens of extra heavy weight lambs sold from $160-$185.

Sheep quality was very mixed and prices were unchanged. Heavy first cross ewes averaged $95 or 277c/kg cwt. Medium weight 3 score Merino wethers averaged $75 or 278c/kg.

Sources: MLA, NLRS, AuctionsPlus