Originally published Wednesday 28th September 2022, updated Friday 30th September 2022.
AuctionsPlus commercial sheep and lamb listings continued with their upward trend this week, with sales hitting 90,920 head listed – up 14%. Lambs continue to dominate the weekly offering, with new season lambs accounting for 57% of the market.Listings out of South Australia saw a spike for the week with the states offering up 48% on last week, accounting for 46% of the weekly offering. The increased new season lamb offering was matched with buyer sentiment, with crossbred and Merino wether lambs registering strong clearances, while prices and clearance rates across breeding categories remained mixed.
Crossbred lambs saw 19,240 head offered – up 6% on last week. The increased offering didn’t deter buyer demand, with the category reaching 96% clearance, averaging $136/head – up $1. From Kingston, Southeast SA, a line of 780 White Suffolk/Border Leicester cross Merino mixed sex lambs, weighing 30kg lwt returned $125/head.
Merino wether lambs recorded the largest offering for the week, with the 21,176 head up 39% on last week. The rise in listings was met with a slightly eased market and strong demand, seeing the category average $115/head – back $2 and reaching an 85% clearance late Thursday, up from 78% at the immediate close of sale. From Ariah Park, NSW, a line of 450 Poll Merino wether lambs, weighing 43kg lwt returned $132/head, heading to a buyer in Victoria.
First cross ewe lambs sold to a higher market, with 11,270 head averaging $205/head – up $15. The category remains impacted by selective buying, reaching a 65% clearance rate late Thursday. Returning the top price for the category at $290/head was two lines of 200 Border Leicester/Merino future breeder ewe lambs from Wellington, NSW, weighing 61kg lwt.
An increased offering saw 463 Merino ewes and lambs listed, along with 1,298 mixed ewes and lambs. Merino ewes and lambs sold to strong demand, averaging $194/head and reaching a 92% clearance rate. Ewes and lambs (mixed) were impacted by selective buying, selling from $110 to $325, to average $174/head. From Nangus, NSW, a line of 123 Border Leicester/Merino ewes aged 3-6-years, weighing 67kg lwt with 194 LAF weighing 20kg lwt and sired by Poll Dorset rams returned $325/head.
Joined ewe listings remain in small supply despite the 4,270 head up 70% on last weeks offering. SIL Merino ewes registered the largest offering at 1,839 head, which sold to a 95% clearance rate, up from 78% at the immediate close of sale. Prices for the category averaged $188-$250, to average $226/head – up $52. From Trangie, NSW a line of 335 SIL Merino ewes aged 26-27-months, weighing 58kg lwt and SIL to Border Leicester rams returned $250/head. SIL shedding breed ewes saw 1,177 head offered up 30% on last week selling to a 98% clearance rate up from 56% at the immediate close of sale, while prices eased on last week to average $266/head – back $79.
Unjoined ewe listings accounted for 32% of the weekly offering, at 28,575 head. The offering sold to mixed demand, with two-out-of-five categories seeing price rises on last week, while clearance rates were mixed. First cross ewes registered the largest offering for the unjoined categories, at 9,773 head. Impacted by selective buying and a large offering, the category reached a 42% clearance rate with post sale negotiations lifting this from a subdued 26% at the immediate close of sale, prices averaged $256/head – back $4.
Merino ewe hoggets saw 6,852 head offered, back 38% on last week. The reduced offering brought with it lower prices on last week, as buyers were cautious on quality, with prices averaging $232/head – back $9 and reaching a 63% clearance rate late Thursday. From Muttaburra, Queensland, a line of 480 ewes aged 10-15-months, weighing 53kg lwt, returned $182/head.
Merino ewe listings more than doubled from last week, with 7,220 head offered. Strong post sale negotiations in the 48hrs following the sale lifted clearance from 51% to 79%, with the category selling from $98-$214, averaging $152/head – easing $1 on last week. From Kaniva, Victoria, a line of 195 3-5-year-old NSM ewes, weighing 73kg lwt returned $172/head.
The demand across increased listings didn’t stop at the commercial offering with a week of 45 stud sheep sales held online seeing Mumblebone Merinos smashing the record for Australian Merino sale averages reaching $5,226/head, while the annual Tattykeel Australian White Stud sale set a new record for a meat sheep breed selling to $240,000.
Note: Prices as at 5pm, Thursday 29th September 2022