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Weekly Sheep & Lamb Comments - Week ending Friday 9th February

Picture of AuctionsPlus AuctionsPlus : Feb 9, 2024

Sheep & Lamb

AuctionsPlus commercial sheep and lamb listings jumped this week to 91,837 head, rising 62%. The larger offering was well received by buyers and a clearance rate of 67% was achieved.

Prices picked back up this week, with the crossbred lamb indicator rising 6% to $111/head and the ARLI indicator rising 9c to average 574c/kg lwt. Price rises were evident across the board with lamb categories all in the green. Only two categories from the joined ewe and NSM ewe categories fell in price.

Listings picked up from all states, with Queensland being a standout with just over 10,000 head listed, increasing more than 200% and NSW increasing by 55% to just over 52,000 head. Listings increased across all stock categories this week, with lambs lifting 62% to 48,971 head and NSM ewes increasing 61% to 28,219 head. NSW buyers picked up 22,000 head more than last week, securing 42,041 head. Processors picked up just over 1,400 head this week, securing four lots of crossbred lambs and Merino ewe lambs.

Table 1: AuctionsPlus National Weekly Sheep and Lamb Prices
Report: Interactive Market Dashboard

Crossbred lamb listings almost doubled from last week to total 22,048 head, with prices increasing on last week to average $111/head - up $6 from last week for an 87% clearance. From Bigga, NSW a line of 365 Poll Dorset/Border Leicester/Merino mixed-sex May/Jun '23 lambs weighing 44kg lwt returned $141/head, or 323c/kg.

Sheep 2

Merino wether lambs registered a larger offering with 14,671 head, with prices increasing on last week to average $78/head - up $13 from last week for a 73% clearance. From Brewarrina, NSW a line of 580 Jun/Jul ’23 drop Merino wethers weighing 47kg lwt returned $123/head.

Sheep 3-1

Merino ewe hoggets were keenly sought this week, with the 6,140 head offered achieving a clearance of 83% and prices rising by $3 to average $124/head. From Wellington, NSW a line of 450 Merino ewe hoggets aged 16 to 17 months old and weighing 49kg returned $125/head, or 256c/kg lwt.

Note: Prices as at 5pm Thursday, 8th February 2024