These June-July 2024 drop UltraWhite cross lambs sold for $142 at Mendooran in Queensland on AuctionsPlus last week.

AUCTIONSPLUS commercial sheep and lamb listings rose 35 percent to 107,186 head last week, but less than half of those were sold.

The larger offering was met with subdued competition and the overall clearance fell to 46pc due mainly to a low clearance rate (32pc) of crossbred lambs.

The overall value over reserve fell by $5 to average $4.

The average price paid for crossbred lambs rose by 3pc or $4 to $131/head and the average carcase weight price paid for restocker lamb lifted to 686c/kg.

AuctionsPlus said there was an influx in new season lambs, with the market struggling to absorb the 72,827 head offered. The category made up 68pc the all commercial sheep and lamb listings and prices averaged $112, down $8.

The larger increase in numbers might have caught buyers and vendors by surprise and could have led to adjustments in reserves to misalign with the higher volume, AuctionsPlus said.

AuctionsPlus sold 89pc of the 3471 Merino wethers for an average price of $91/head.

New South Wales retained its position as the top listing state, offering 44,597 head, an increase of 11,206 head from the previous week’s yarding. Listings from Victoria rose by 14,036 to 34,696 head. Queensland listings rose 3712 to 5102 and purchasing activity also increased to 3194 head.

Purchasing activity was down in the southern states, declining the most in Victoria saw the greatest decline in purchasing activity, but increased in NSW.

At Tandarra in Victoria, 30 14-18 month-old Australian White ewes weighing 73kg sold for $210/head, or 289c/kg lwt, to a buyer in Bendigo, Victoria.

At Cootamundra in NSW, 420 16-17 month-old Merino ewes weighing 55kg sold for $170/head, or 310c/kg lwt, to a buyer in Boroowa, NSW.