Big surge in Mutton numbers at Bendigo

Yarding - 33,100

Supply lifted to 18,200 lambs while nearly 15,000 sheep came forward as producers chased the hot mutton prices recorded in the north late last week. Lamb quality was more mixed this week, with a quicker fade off in presentation and finish once off the lead lines of fed lambs. Lamb prices fluctuated a few dollars either side of last Monday for an end-result that was similar to last week’s carcass price averages, some of the main trade categories registering modest improvements.

The sheep market couldn’t sustain the high rates achieved at sales like Wagga Wagga and Griffith late last week, prices generally firm on the Bendigo result last Monday at 500c to 550c/kg for the best lines of mutton. Export lambs from $230 to a top of $266/head with no extra heavy pens above 35kg cwt offered today. Heavy lambs 26-30kg cwt from $200 to $246/head; best heavy trades $190 to $212, followed by the general run of mid and lighter trades at $155 to $185/head. To sum up the market, 800c/kg remained the baseline value with the best neat and fed lambs trending over this mark to 840c plus on select ‘sweet’ trades at times, but the general run of processing lambs from 750c to 790c/kg cwt.

The Farmers Club - For Ag Enthusiasts. Join The Farmers Club here.

In the Merino section a heavy pen in wool reached $236; most better trade type Merinos $165 to $180/had; runs of lighter MK sized Merino lambs $66 to $132/head depending on size and quality. The line-up of small crossbred lambs did get fairly scrappy at times which did drag some results down. Best pens of small lambs $120 to $160 to both processors and store buyers; secondary small lambs $30 to $110/head. Store buyers did pay to $170 for trade lambs to feed on.

It was mostly heavier sheep that came forward in the bigger yarding of mutton. Price results were mostly similar to last Monday, although some of the heaviest ewes didn’t match last week’s late price surge which took ewes to $225/head. Extra heavy ewes today sold from $160 to $198/head with some Merino wethers topping hte market at $205/head. Middle run of heavy sheep $120 to $160/head; plainer sheep $70 to $120/head with this lighter mutton in fat score 1 and 2 condition from 450c to 500c/kg cwt.

https://www.bendigo.vic.gov.au/Services/Bendigo-Livestock-Exchange