Sale prices, attendance, hit by heat, public holidays

Bidding remained erratic over the past week, with lamb weight and quality both factors in price outcomes.

Rates lower: Auctioneer Tim Robinson knocks down the opening pen of first-cross ewe lambs at Corowa, Picture: Jenny Kelly

PRICE directions for lamb and sheep should become clearer as the industry moves into February and a clear run of processing weeks free of public holidays.

This week’s markets were affected by a combination of the Australia Day public holiday and the extreme weather that cut saleyard numbers.

There were only 8700 lambs and 2000 sheep at Bendigo earlier this week, as the centre tried new heat rules to protect the welfare of animals and workers.

The sale started an hour earlier at 8.30am and numbers were capped at a maximum of 15,000.

The system was effective, and selling was completed by 10am.

Going forward there is talk Bendigo will move to an earlier selling time over the summer months, as Wagga Wagga does during the hot months of the year.

There was also a reduced yarding of 5800 lambs and 2000 sheep at Corowa in southern NSW earlier this week, and a small offering of 5700 lambs further north at Dubbo on the same day.

Bidding remained erratic in the past week, with lamb weight and quality all factors in price outcomes.

The general trend was cheaper rates for big heavy lambs weighing over 30kg ­carcass weight, but firm to dearer price outcomes for ­nicely weighted domestic lambs.

It reflected the make-up of yardings, with all the major saleyards reporting increased supplies of heavy lambs against limited numbers of nicely finished domestic lambs in the 20-24kg range.

Agents said the shift to bigger weights reflected the season and good grass year plus cheaper grain, as well as the need for producers to add weight to help recover the costs of high-priced store lambs.

There were mild movements in official saleyard price averages in the past week.

On Monday night, the average for heavyweight lambs sold at auction was 819c/kg cwt, while tradeweight lambs were listed at 823c/kg.

It is worth noting that a heavy lamb in the official indicators is set at 22kg plus.

When the data is analysed, the big export lambs above 30kg have all been tracking under 800c/kg.

The price average reported out of Wagga Wagga last Thursday for the big shorn lambs 30kg plus was $247, working out to an estimated 718c/kg on weight.

At Bendigo, the average for similar-sized shorn lambs was $252 at an estimated 750c/kg.

In dollar per head terms, the bulk of the heavy lambs over 26kg cwt are making between $200 to $240.

The nicer weighted lambs suiting domestic and export orders are tracking over 800c/kg, with most saleyards reporting averages of 820c/kg to 860c/kg cwt.

The mutton market con­tinues to be dull, with not all exporters operating on ­reduced yardings.

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