Supermarket buyers go missing as Victorian lamb sales drop
Prices for heavy lambs fell this week as big buyers went missing, forcing sales in Victoria to dip. See the going rates for lamb at this week’s sales in Jenny Kelly’s report.
LAMB prices lost some of their oomph as some major buyers disappear from the auction system.
There were no Coles buyers at Bendigo earlier this week, with exporter Thomas Foods International not fielding their main buyer either.
Added to this was limited buying from Woolworths and some other processors.
It followed on from Swan Hill and Ouyen late last week, where the major domestic companies did not attend despite the centres offering nearly 20,000 lambs between them.
As a result, the lamb prices have started to ease and perform more around quality as less buying intensity allows processors to be more selective on breed type and carcass finish.
At close of selling earlier this week the national saleyard price for heavy lambs (22kg plus) had drifted down to 862c/kg cwt and trade lambs to 868c/kg.
However, NLRS market reports show many heavy lambs (24kg plus) selling below these averages, chiefly in Victoria.
Northern saleyards have generally been posting rates in the higher price realms due to the shortage of stock in NSW.
The biggest export lambs weighing more than 30kg cwt have been quoted between 720c and 800c/kg at most centres in the past week, for dollar a head returns of $240 to $285.
Once on to the more nicely weighted lambs under 28kg cwt there have been price spreads of 770c/kg to 860c/kg recorded depending on quality.
Buyers are favouring shorter-skinned lambs ahead of the woolly lots showing dryness.
In dollar a head terms the better finished tradeweight lambs (24-26kg) made from $190 to $220.
Merino lambs have been selling exceptionally well as some processors favour the higher returns from their skins.
There were more Merino lambs in the trade-weight categories, compared with crossbred lambs, which are being pushed out at big weights this summer.
The official saleyard price average for Merino lambs was at 800c/kg earlier this week.
Some export weighted Merino lambs in a two-inch skin sold to $276 at Ouyen last week.
Store lambs have continued to hold their value at $130 to $165 for the better bred and framed types, but based on limited sales at many markets.
The mutton market continued to track strongly. The official average early this week was 648c/kg, but within this is a big range stretching from 550c to over 700c/kg for sheep.
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