Markets

Sheep meat processors bid on reduced AuctionsPlus offering

Sheep Central, September 16, 2019

SHEEP meat processors were active again on mainly light lambs and mutton sheep in a reduced online offering last week.

AuctionsPlus sheep and lamb numbers dropped 10,488 last week to 90,366 head, with all states except Australia offering fewer stock.

In New South Wales, producers offered 69,870 head, down 3518 and Queensland listed 4848 sheep and lambs, 2892 fewer. South Australia producers listed 11,266 sheep and lambs, 2963 fewer, and Victorian producers offered 4551 head, 145 less. Western Australian producers offered 6480 head.

The processors competed against feedlots, backgrounders and breeders. From northern NSW, two lines of aged Merino ewes shorn less than a month and with an estimated carcase weight of 19kg, sold from 513-531c/kg cwt. Further south in the Riverina, two lines of January shorn composite ewes weighing 34kg and 36kg cwt made 505c/kg and 547c/kg cwt, including skin value.

AuctionsPlus said online numbers were boosted by two special sheep sales in Western Australia and New South Wales with a combined offering of 6480 head. These were the Elders WA Forward Lamb sale and the Hillston Store Sheep Sale, which yarded 6034 head. The Elders WA Forward Lamb Sale was topped by a line of May/June 2019 drop Poll Dorset cross mixed sex suckers to be delivered in October that sold for 321c/kg. A line of 16-17 month-old Poll Merino ewes weighing 64kg sold for $310, topping the Hillston sale.

Merino ewe lambs sell to $237

Merino ewe lambs sold from $131 to $237 on AuctionsPlus last week, averaging $166, up $21. Highlights included August/September 2018 drop Merino ewe lambs weighing 45kg at Wellington Vale, NSW, that sold for $140. A line of 11-12 month unjoined Merino ewes weighing 61kg at West Wyalong, NSW, sold for $220.

Merino ewe hoggets averaged $183, down $6, with prices ranging from $120-$236. Proven Merino breeders held firm to average $151, or from $101 to $225. Highlights included unjoined five year-old ewes weighing 57kg at Nyngan, NSW, that sold for $125; three year-old ewes scanned in-lamb to Poll Merino rams at Barcaldine, Queensland that made $130, and three year-old unjoined ewes weighing 58kg at Areegra, Victoria, that sold for $183.

Merino wether lambs sell to $152

A highlight last week was a line of April/May 2019 drop Merino wether lambs weighing 50kg at Tambo, QLD, that sold to South Australian buyer 1800km away.

AuctionsPlus said 24,000 Merino wether lambs offered last week sold from $60.50 to $152 and averaged $115, $7 down. Highlights included March/April 2019 drop store lambs weighing 39kg at Netherton, South Australia, that sold for $146.50; September/October 2018 drop lambs weighing 39kg at Breadalbane, NSW, $119.50; April/May 2019 drop lambs weighing 30kg that made $118. Grown Merino wethers and hoggets sold from $91 to $116, averaging $109, up $28. The top price was paid for two year-old wethers weighing 50kg at Bookham, NSW.

First cross ewe hoggets sell to $307

There were 4885 first cross ewes and ewe lambs offered on AuctionsPlus last week. Ewe lambs sold for $104-$306 and averaged $209, $8 lower. Highlights Highlights included August/September 2018 drop ewes weighing 55kg at Narromine, NSW, that sold for $235 and May/June 2019 drop lambs weighing 26kg at Kingston, SA, that made $176. Unjoined first cross hoggets and ewes averaged $238, up $28, selling from $181 up to $307 for a line of 11-13 month-old hoggets weighing 55kg at Quandialla, NSW.

Aussie White ewes sell for $300

A line of scanned in-lamb Australian White ewes at Dubbo, NSW, sold for $300 to a buyer at Wangaratta in Victoria. The 2-3 year-old ewes weighed 73kg and were joined to Australian White rams. At Angas Plains in South Australia, a line of 14-15 month-old unjoined Dohne ewe hoggets weighing 58kg sold for $212.

Strong demand for store lambs

The AuctionsPlus store lamb listings dropped back to 23,062 head last week, with strong clearing 91pc of the offering. Highlights included:

–              Poll Dorset cross, May/June 2019 drop, 43kg, $166 or 404c/kg live Pranjip, VIC

–              White Suffolk cross, April/May 2019 drop, 41kg, $157 or 395c/kg live, Coleambally, NSW

–              Dorset cross, April/May 2019 drop, 40kg, $152 or 394c/kg live, Tooraweenah, NSW

–              Poll Dorset cross, May/June 2019 drop, 34kg, $149.50 or 441c/kg live, Forbes, NSW

–              White Suffolk cross, June 2019 drop, 34kg, $140.50 or 426c/kg livefrom Kingscote, SA

–             White Suffolk cross wethers, May/June 2019 drop, 30kg, $120 or 423c/kg live, Lucknow, NSW

–              First cross wethers, April/May 2019 drop, 39kg, $132.5 or 358c/kg live, Violet Town, VIC

HAVE YOUR SAY

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Your comment will not appear until it has been moderated.
Contributions that contravene our Comments Policy will not be published.

Comments

Get Sheep Central's news headlines emailed to you -
FREE!