AuctionsPlus commercial sheep and lamb listings more than halved this week, totaling 16,919 head and clearance rates also dropped 4 percentage points to 72%.
There is always a lull in the offering during July, but this week was one of the lowest sheep and lamb yardings on record for AuctionsPlus during normal trading weeks, with only a couple of other instances lower in 2016 and 2017.
The offering will start to lift in volume again as new season lambs come onto the market in the coming weeks.
Value Over Reserve lifted a further $3/head, averaging $18/head over set reserves.
The crossbred lamb indicator increased again this week by 7%, averaging $144/head.
Meanwhile the AuctionsPlus Restocker Lamb Indicator dropped 30c this week to 659c, after climbing 179c last week.
The joined ewe offerings fell significantly this week but still made up most of the offering with a combined 8,571 head, or 51% of the total. SIL Merino Ewes and SIL First X Ewes offerings were back significantly. Lamb articles made up the second largest pool at 6,008 head, or 36% of the offering, with the smaller offering split across lamb classifications.
Listings from Queensland dropped significantly this week, with 12,036 less head offered compared to the previous week - this was after the Queensland offering more than doubled the previous week. The offering was also significantly less in NSW with 7,403 less head offered this week, however Victorian sheep producers offered an addition 1,968 head. Purchasing activity mirror offering behaviour, with Queensland and NSW buying significantly less than last week and Victorian producers buying additional articles.
Processer/feedlot activity snapped up 2% of the offering this week, slightly back on the previous week.
Table 1: AuctionsPlus National Weekly Sheep and Lamb Prices
Report: Interactive Market Dashboard
Crossbred Lambs registered a 55% lower offering of 1,649 head, and prices increased on last week to average $44/head - up $9 for a 100% clearance.
Merino wether lambs registered a 21% decrease in numbers this week, with the 2,767 head achieving a 22% clearance and a $2/head discount.
SIL Merino ewes registered a 62% smaller offering of 2,618 head. The category had a 97% clearance rate and prices fell by $14/head to average $116/head.
SIL first cross ewe numbers were back 28% on last week, with the 1,157 head returning a 67% clearance and falling by $19, to average $160/head.
Note: Prices as at 5pm Thursday, July 18, 2024.
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