Farm Tender

Big yarding at Bendigo Sheep and Lambs on Monday

Yarding - 47,965. 
Sheep - 20,000. 
Lambs - 27,965. 

There was an influx of nearly 28,000 lambs and 20,000 sheep as the season deteriorates quickly across the region. It rates as the biggest one-day prime market Bendigo has held in nearly a decade. Quality was mixed, with drier skinned young lambs under 20kg cwt making up the bulk of the offering. All the regular buyers attended but demand for was noticably weaker, with some buyers not operating or only purchasing limited numbers. Prices were $10 to $20 cheaper across most weights and grades, with some pens showing corrections of up to $30/head on a week ago.

The supply of quality heavy young lambs was limited but this couldn't prevent price falls and it took a very good lamb weighing over 24kg cwt to make above $200/head. The sale reached a top of $221 for a small pen lot of extra heavy new season lambs estimated at around 28kg cwt. The main run of trade weight young lambs, 22-24kg cwt, sold from $163 to $197 to average between $180 and $185/head. The next size down, 20-22kg cwt, made from $139 to $172 to average around $150 to $155/head. The best young lambs were estimated at 740c to 760c cwt, with plainer types drifting down to 700c/kg in an erratic sale. Light weight lambs weighing less than 20kg cwt all trended below 700c to be returning estimated averages of 640c to 680c/kg to both processors and restockers. There was store buyer activity from Tasmania, Ballarat, Shepparton, Yarrawonga and the local area, with decent sized lambs to the paddock costing $100 to $128/head. Specialist Ballarat finishers did pay to $151 for store lambs with a lot more size and weight. The smallest and immature young lambs to restockers sold from $31 to $86 to average $65/head.

The line-up of old season lambs was very plain as final drafts are sold, and there was some sharp price corrections.

All weights and grades of mutton were represented as the dry season forces sheep to be culled. Prices fell by $10 to $20/head and more in places during an erratic market. There was a noticable price difference beween better quality sheep with weight and reasonable fat cover compared to very plain and drought affected ewes which were discounted. Early in the market there was still some sales of good Merino mutton above 500c cwt, before the market lost momentum to record averages of 420c to 460c/kg over the main runs of trade and heavy sheep. Very poor and light weight sheep ranged from an estimated 250c to 370c/kg cwt