The Australian livestock market has been on an unprecedented two-year run, with prices across the board surging into uncharted territory. On the back of the strong market, the inaugural sheep and lamb breed breakdown has been developed to showcase just how far the market has come. As previously reported in the AuctionsPlus Cattle Breed Breakdown, the AuctionsPlus Market Insights (AMI) team have reviewed sheep and lamb data since 2016 to ascertain the most popular sheep and lamb breeds that have been listed over the past six years.
In 2020, 4.17 million head of sheep and lambs were listed on the AuctionsPlus weekly national sales, increasing 18% from 2019. The most recent quarter in 2021 has registered 1.08 million head of sheep and lambs offered, which is the highest third quarter offerings total since 2016 and an increase of 27% from the same quarter in 2020.
For the first time, AuctionsPlus is making available specific quarterly sheep breed pricing data from 2016. The breeds that have been included in the tables were chosen because of their popularity on AuctionsPlus and the ability for that breed to have listings across a range of stock categories. The breeds included are Australian White, Border Leicester/Merino, Composite, Dohne, Dorper, Merino, Poll Dorset/Merino, Primeline, White Dorper and White Suffolk/Merino.
Merino categories were by far the most popular breed on AuctionsPlus, with a total of 9.57 million head listed, or 46% of total listings since 2016 – followed by Border Leicester/Merino categories which had 2.23 million head or 11% of total listings since 2016.
While varying across breeds and categories, most of the lines prices for the September 2021 quarter averaged 16% above the same period in 2020, and up 93% on average since the same quarter in 2016.
Five selected breeds and categories are briefly detailed below. For the full price series across 10 breeds selected, please click here to download.
Merino Ewe Lambs
Merino ewe lambs in the third quarter of 2021 averaged $232/head, which is up 20% from the same period in 2020 and 209% from the lowest price recorded in Q1 2016.
Border Leicester/Merino Ewe Hoggets
First cross ewe hoggets averaged $351/head during the September quarter, rising 12% on the same period in 2020.
From the lowest price recorded in the timeframe, at $148/head in the second quarter of 2018, hoggets prices have risen by 137%.
White Suffolk/Merino Mixed Sex Lambs
Mixed sex lambs averaged $163/head in the third quarter of 2021, representing a 20% increase from the same period in 2020. This represents a 78% increase in prices since the lowest recorded price in Q1 and Q2 2016 of $92/head.
Australian White SIL Ewes
Australian White SIL ewes recorded a 155% increase in the average price received during the September quarter, at $696/head. This also represents a 314% rise in price since the categories low in the first quarter of 2017, at $168/head.
Composite Ewes
Composite ewes averaged $228/head in the third quarter of 2021, climbing 23% from the same quarter in 2020. From the lowest recorded average, of $105/head in the second quarter of 2018, the category has increased 117%.