Dry weather drives sheep numbers up and prices down at Wagga Wagga saleyards
Sheep and lamb numbers have surged at major markets this week, as prices are cheaper, with the Wagga Wagga yarding jumping 14,000 head.
Sheep yarding numbers have risen at major prime markets this week, as dry conditions continue to bite many areas.
At Wagga Wagga in the NSW Riverina today, numbers jumped significantly with 43,000 lambs and 23,000 sheep yarded.
This is a jump of almost 4000 sheep and 10,000 lambs from last week. Agents yarded 19,050 sheep at Wagga Wagga last week and 33,000 lambs.
Numbers increased slightly at both Hamilton and Horsham on Wednesday, with Hamilton yarding 4500 sheep, up 1500 on the previous week and Horsham had 3950 sheep, up 600 on the previous sale.
According to the National Livestock Reporting Service mutton prices at Hamilton were $20 to $25 a head cheaper.
And that cheaper trend continued at Wagga Wagga on Thursday.
Nutrien Wagga Wagga livestock agent James Croker said there was a substantial lift in numbers.
“We had a big run of mutton, and they were cheaper than the last sale,” Mr Croker said.
He said the best sheep made up to $260, with most good heavy Merino and crossbred sheep selling from $185 to $240.
It meant on a cents-a-kilogram basis most mutton was tracking from 680c/kg to 720c/kg carcass weight.
Mr Croker said there were about 28,000 new-season lambs included in the sale, which were of good quality.
But he said the market was “fairly subdued on last week’s buoyant rates”.
“I’d say prices were back $15 to $20.”
The best lambs sold out to $332, with cents-a-kilogram rates at $11.20/kg to $11.50/kg.
“Restocker prices were cheaper as well, but there were still plenty of people lining up to buy,” Mr Croker said.
The national mutton indicator has fallen 5c/kg in a week, to sit at 796c/kg carcass weight. However, it is still 50c/kg higher than a month ago and 534c/kg higher than the same time last year.
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