AuctionsPlus commercial sheep and lamb listings jumped this week to 97,847 head, rising 7%. The larger offering met with mixed reaction by buyers, receiving a clearance rate of 53%, which was 17 percentage points lower than the previous week.
Prices were also mixed, with the crossbred lamb indicator rising 3% to $114/head and the restocker ARLI indicator dropping 30c to average 533c/kg lwt. Joined ewe prices mostly fell, with SIL dropping an average of $54/head with a clearance of 73% and SM Shedding Breed Ewes down $40/head. SM Merino ewes appeared to be a bright spot in the market with a rise of $26/head, however they only achieved a clearance rate of 34%.
Listings picked up from all states, except for NSW, were listings fell 2574 to 50,158. Queensland listings jumped 26% to 13,511. Listings increased by 217% for sheep to 5,934 and 62% for joined ewes to 20,643, but fell in small increments in all other categories. NSW buyers purchased 19,917 less head this week, securing 24,385 head, while South Australian buyers picked up 5,480 head more than last week, securing 9,632 head. Two processors were active in the AuctionsPlus marketplace this week, picking up 4297 head across 13 lots of crossbred lambs and Merino wether lambs.
Table 1: AuctionsPlus National Weekly Sheep and Lamb Prices
Report: Interactive Market Dashboard
Crossbred lamb listings were back 8% from last week to total 20,301 head, with prices increasing on last week to average $114/head - up $3 from last week for an 71% clearance. From Cudal, NSW a line of 240 Poll Merino/Border Leicester/Merino mixed-sex July '22 store lambs weighing 32.40kg lwt returned $111/head, or 343c/kg.
Merino wether lambs registered a smaller offering with 10,527 head, with prices also falling on last week to average $65/head - down $13 from last week for a 53% clearance. From Connewirricoo, Vic a line of 370 April/May ’23 drop Merino wethers weighing 56.3kg lwt returned $121/head.
Merino ewe hoggets were not keenly sought this week, with the 7730 head offered achieving a clearance of 26% and prices falling by $43 to average $80/head. From Gilgandra, NSW a line of 322 Merino ewe hoggets aged 18 months old and weighing 59kg returned $175/head, or 293c/kg lwt.
Note: Prices as at 5pm Thursday, 15th February 2024
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