AuctionsPlus commercial sheep and lamb listings dropped a further 24% this week, totaling 12,831 head, and clearance rates also dropped 20 percentage points to 52%.
It's the lowest July sheep and lamb offering recorded on the platform and comes off the back of the next lowest offering of 16,919 head last week.
The July lull is reportedly being exacerbated by tough conditions slowing growth of new season lambs, which would normally be starting to come onto the market by now.
Value Over Reserve lifted a further $2/head, averaging $21/head over set reserves.
The crossbred lamb indicator fell this week by 18%, averaging $118/head.
Meanwhile the AuctionsPlus Restocker Lamb Indicator lifted 42c this week to 701c/kg.
The joined ewe offerings fell significantly this week but still made up most of the offering with a combined 5,010 head, or 39% of the total. The SIL Shedding Breed Ewes dropped 44% but the SIL Merino Ewes held steady. Lamb articles made up the second largest pool at 6,008 head, or 34% of the offering, with the smaller offering split across lamb classifications.
Listings from Victoria dropped significantly this week to just 500 head, with more than 3000 less head offered compared to the previous week. The offering from Queensland also dropped significantly, however the NSW offering was steady. Purchasers were only active in Queensland, NSW and Victoria, with 3,556 less articles going to the latter this week.
There was no processer/feedlot activity this week.
Table 1: AuctionsPlus National Weekly Sheep and Lamb Prices
Report: Interactive Market Dashboard
Crossbred Lambs registered a 2% lower offering of 1,619 head, and prices decreased on last week to average $118/head - down $26 for a 71% clearance.
From Nevertire, NSW, a line of 375 Border Leicester/Merino wethers, Sep/Oct '23 drop and weighing 39kg lwt, returned $142/head, or 362c/kg, and will travel to a buyer in Trangie, NSW.
Merino wether lambs registered a 38% decrease in numbers this week, with the 1,725 head achieving a 50% clearance with no change in values.
From Barcaldine, Queensland, a line of 860 Merino wethers, Jan/Feb '24 drop,and weighing 28kg lwt, returned $75/head, or 272c/kg, and will travel to a buyer in Condamine, QLD.
SIL Merino ewes registered a 1% larger offering of 2,649 head. The category had a 42% clearance rate and prices fell by $1/head to average $115/head.
SIL first cross ewe numbers were back 44% on last week, with the 1,090 head returning a 14% clearance, to average $251/head.
Note: Prices as at 5pm Thursday, July 26, 2024.
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