New-season lambs trickle in, while Bendigo sets a new price record
Victorian restockers are driving competition for new-season lambs at Bendigo, while agents say suckers are about one month behind schedule.
A new Bendigo record has been set for new-season lambs, while an agent says numbers will continue to trickle in with most new-season lambs “one month behind” schedule.
But some new-season lambs are hitting the market and headed mostly to Victorian restockers, with a top price of $394 or 1231c/kg at Bendigo on Monday, with the lambs weighing about 32kg.
There were about 3000 new-season lambs at Bendigo on Monday, out of 17,525 sheep and lambs yarded.
Elders Bendigo livestock manager Nigel Starick said the market performed well and believed there would be an influx of lambs depending on seasonal conditions.
He said a consignment of 300-400 store suckers averaged $370 at Bendigo.
“(The market has) obviously come off a little bit to where it was two to three weeks ago, but most of the good suckers are between $11-$11.50/kg,” he said.
“Anyone that can feed lambs and get them up to 24kg-plus will be well rewarded for it, because there’ll certainly be an abundance of lambs under 24kg and especially under 21-22kg.”
Mr Starick said most lambs were headed within 250km of Bendigo including to the Mallee, Euroa and Horsham.
Ellis Nuttal and Co livestock agent and director Rupert Fawcett Jnr said the seasonal conditions would cause the market to be a “drawn out affair” with new-season lambs still being prepared.
He said mutton prices were still dearer, while yarding numbers were lighter but expected to fill out headed into spring.
“Suckers are about a month behind where they usually are,” Mr Fawcett said.
“Quality is very mixed at this time of year, a lot of clean up lots. It’s mixed quality, the suckers that are coming in are very good.
“There’ll be more come on board, it’ll just take time. I think the prices will hold up pretty well for anything that is good quality, even the store suckers are selling well, there’s a lot of competition for them at the moment.”
Meanwhile, the national trade lamb indicator has fallen to 1098c/kg carcass weight, 43c/kg lower in the past week, after it peaked at 1230c/kg in early August.
The light lamb indicator currently sits at 919c/kg with 19,570 sold in one week. It is down 75c/kg in a week and 54c/kg in a month, but 278c/kg higher than a year ago.
According to the National Livestock Reporting Service any lightweight young store lambs at Bendigo on Monday sold well to restockers if they were in big lines, with most above 1000c/kg.
