It was another mixed week for AuctionsPlus sheep and lamb markets, as quality continues to play an increasing factor into buyer demand heading into winter. The total online offering this week was back 7% on last week, to 60,548 head, with a sharp fall in the number of SIL Merino ewes more than offsetting a jump in composite/other breed lambs.
It was two up, four down for the lamb categories this week, with the two Merino categories finishing the week higher. Merino ewe lambs, with a 72% clearance rate for the 4,915 head offered, averaged $38 higher on last week, at $235/head, while Merino wethers edged up $7, to $148/head - with an impressive 84% clearance rate for the 13,324 head offered. First cross ewe lambs registered the largest decline, dropping $46 on last week, to average $198/head, while the composite/other category withstood a significant jump in supplies to only decline $1, averaging $178/head.
The largest supply contraction this week was for SIL Merino ewes, with offerings back 57% on last week, to only 5,652 head. Illustrating the back-and-forth market movements of recent weeks, despite the 57% less offered, the price slipped $17/head lower this week, to average $245, which completely wiped-out last weeks $17 gain. However, with the lower offering, the clearance rates this week jumped to 80%, up from 70% last week - signaling that many of the sellers operating this week were keen to lock in a sale and offload before the winter conditions set in.
Prices this week also contracted for both SIL and SM first cross ewes. With 5,074 head offered, SIL first cross ewes averaged $35 lower, at $303/head, with a clearance rate slightly up on last week, at 59%. Similarly, SM first cross ewes averaged $67 lower, at $233/head.
After several weeks of subdued clearance rates, demand bounced for ewes with LAF this week, with a 93% clearance rate for the 1,181 head offered driving a $31 increase on last week, to average $296/head. An indicative line of 247 Merino ewes with 250 LAF, out of Lalbert, N.W Victoria, sold to $280/unit – with the ewes averaging 55.8kg liveweight.
NOTE: Prices as at 5pm Thursday, May 20, 2021.
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