Prices ease for heavy, trade lambs
The north continues to lead the market with higher price points. Here’s this week’s sheep market report.
LAMB prices have begun performing around weight, quality and supply as the industry steps into autumn.
Heavy export lambs, which are available in bigger numbers this season, have been affected by patchy export processor competition with not all companies operating at saleyards in the past week.
However, any genuine domestic lambs in a range of 21-24kg carcass weight have sold strongly at many centres due to a lack of supply.
Auctions in NSW are also tracking at higher price points compared to the south, saleyard data shows. The overall result has been a softer trend for lamb in the past week.
The national price average for heavy lambs (22kg cwt plus) was listed at 838c/kg cwt on Monday night, showing a fall of 24c in the past week.
The national indicator for trade lambs has slipped by 20c and started this week at 848c/kg, but it did show more resilience on Monday to hold firm on last Friday’s price.
The north continues to lead the market in terms of price, as shown by a breakdown of NLRS data by state.
The latest figures show trade lambs in NSW trending at 865c/kg cwt, to be at a 25c premium to Victoria which was sitting at 840c/kg. Likewise, heavy lambs are dearer in the north at 846c, compared with 832c in Victoria.
In dollar a head terms, the heaviest export lambs over 30kg cwt continued to be capped between $240 and $285 a head at the majority of auctions, with only the odd super-sized pen making more.
A positive at Bendigo was the return of buying activity from Thomas Foods International, which had not been competing at this centre for a number of weeks.
However, export demand remains erratic and at Corowa in southern NSW on Monday the NLRS reported that two regular orders did not operate.
Selling agents said the top-priced $280 lambs at Bendigo this week had been weighed on farm at 75kg liveweight three hours off feed, giving them an expected carcass weight of 35kg.
Taking into account a $3 to $4 skin, they work out at about 790c/kg. Market reports show quite a few lambs still under 800c/kg, particularly plainer types in the tradeweight section, while many of the super-sized lambs are ranging from 750c to 800c depending on weight.
The mutton market continues to be erratic, but appears to have gained momentum in the past week, with lightweight sheep selling particularly well. The saleyard average for mutton improved to 647c/kg cwt on Monday.
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