These August 2024 drop Poll Dorset cross suckers weighing 34.4kg lwt at Walcha in NSW sold for $120 on AuctionsPlus last week.

DEMAND increased for a smaller offering of 61,426 commercial sheep and lambs, including from processors, on AuctionsPlus last week.

The overall clearance increased by 15 percent to 78pc and value over reserve lifted by $1 to average $8 as the offering reduced by 34,407 head.

The ARLI also increased 94c/kg dressed weight, to end the week at 672 c/kg.

New season lambs made up 73pc of the week’s total lamb yarding of 46,377 offered. The average price per head ended the week at $117, returning an average of $7 a head over set reserves. The lamb category clearance finished at 79pc, up 16% from the week prior.

AuctionsPlus sold 82pc of the 24,324 crossbred lambs offered, with prices increasing to average $126/head, up $6.

Buyers bought 84pc of the 11,792 Merino wether lambs offered, with prices increasing on last week to average $86/head – up $12.

The smaller offering of 2629 Merino ewes met increased competition with prices increasing on last week to average $125/head – up $125 — for a 93pc clearance.

Full clearance was achieved across the joined ewe offering. Scanned in-lamb shedding breed ewes returned the highest value at an average of $226 a head.

Listing volumes softened across New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia. However, interstate purchasing activity increased by 2pc to end the week at 29pc. Processor activity accounted for 12pc of purchases last week.

At Coolac in NSW, 250 mixed sex June 2024 drop Merino lambs weighing 44kg lwt sold for $154, or 350c/kg lwt, to a buyer in Wagga Wagga, NSW.

At Nhill in Victoria, 195 April-May 2024 drop Poll Merino wethers weighing 45kg lwt sold for $136, or 306c/kg lwt, to a buyer in Kaniva, Victoria.

At Mount Benson in Victoria, 400 September 2022 drop Merino ewes weighing 51kg made $140, or 277c/kg lwt, with a buyer in Glencoe, South Australia.