Sucker lambs sell to $209 at Deniliquin amid big season

Big numbers of slaughter-ready cross bred lambs are continuing to flow into the Deniliquin saleyards, with Ben Pisasale among producers who sold more on Tuesday.

Ben Pisasale from Pisasale Farms at Deniliquin was selling 650 crossbred sucker lambs on Tuesday.

THE southern Riverina centre of Deniliquin is in the midst of its biggest sucker lamb season seen for years.

Thanks to the improved season, big numbers of slaughter-ready cross bred lambs have been flowing into the Deniliquin saleyards in the past month, with another 15,000 head sold on Tuesday.

“The last two sales have been the biggest we have seen for a number of seasons, as in the drought years most of the lambs went out as stores’’ said Elders auctioneer Jason Andrews.

Quality has been outstanding, and has drawn out all the major supermarket and domestic orders and price wise the Deniliquin sale has been one of the market leaders for sucker lambs this spring.

It continued on Tuesday, with the lead pens of suckers selling to $209 to be rated as dearer than Bendigo on a carcass basis.

Although the sale did settle as it progressed for an overall result that was judged to be similar to the improved rates recorded at Bendigo on Monday.

Mr Andrews said buyers had been reporting very good yields for lambs coming off the station country, which matures ahead of southern regions.

“The very best lambs (sold on Tuesday morning) were a bit dearer than what has been reported at other markets, and buyers have been getting very good yields,’’ he said.

“But the season is now starting to show up on some lambs which have dried-off in the skins and buyers did back-off a bit on those lambs which were just firm.’’

The lead runs of suckers mostly $175 to $195; the middle run $155 to $172; and lighter lambs including those to the paddock from $130 to $148.