Weekly Sheep & Lamb Comments - 23.04.21

AuctionsPlus’ lamb and sheep prices were slightly lower this week, as overall offerings increased 12% on the previous week, to 90,112 head. While the overall market sentiment continues to be robust, the run of dry weeks and cooling nights is reportedly starting to create some fluctuations, especially across the wether categories, while restocking demand for top quality breeding lines remains extremely high.

Across the lamb categories prices were split, with three up and three down for the week, as clearance rates continued to fluctuate. For the 20,277 head of Merino wether lambs on offer, the clearance rate reached 77%, which was back from the 89% registered last week for a similar volume. As such, Merino wether lamb prices averaged $5 lower on last week, at $144/head. An indicative line of 600 store Merino wether lambs, out of White Cliffs NSW, averaging 42.1kg liveweight and Oct-Nov 20 drop, sold to $155/head – equating to 880.7c/kg dressed.

The largest decline in the lamb categories for the week was for the crossbred and composite/other categories, which slipped back $40 and $31/head, respectively. In contrast, the largest increase was registered for the first cross ewe and shedding categories, up $42 and $52/head, respectively. For the shedding categories, there was another batch of excellent quality ewe lambs offered, with 51 Australian White future breeder ewe lambs, out of Bathurst at 42.8kg liveweight, selling to $471/head, or 1,970.7c/kg dressed.

For the 8,573 first cross ewe lambs offered this week, the clearance rate only reached 44% - signaling that sellers are setting robust reserves, as the average for the week jumped $42/head, to $250/head.

On the ewe side of the market, prices were largely weaker for the main joined ewe categories, with clearance rates well below last week averages. SIL Merino ewes, with 15,755 head offered, averaged $3 lower for the week, at $258/head – with a clearance rate of 60%. Similarly, SM Merino ewes declined $5, to $221/head – with only a 40% clearance rate for the 3,388 head offered. SIL first cross ewes averaged $14 lower this week, at $311/head.

NOTE: Prices are as at 5pm Thursday, 22nd April 2021.

For more categories, please go to:

Sheep Averages 20/04/2021

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