Lambs down but Mutton gains at Ballarat

Yarding: 61,215

Almost 50,000 lambs were penned, one of the biggest yarding’s for the first market back in January. Again a large portion of the yarding were lighter weights and plainer types with limited well finish lambs offered. Most of the usual buying group attended with extra store buyers present. Store buyers were keen over the lambs to go back to the paddock or to feed on. Bidding only intensified over well presented shorn lambs with good weight and shape, however over the heavier weights and lambs that had a long dry skins sales fall away to be $30/head softer and more in places from the last market in December.

Store lambs sold firm to $5 cheaper, light trade lambs sold $5 to $10/head cheaper. Medium and heavy trade slipped $20 to $30 and extra heavy export lambs were limited, sold to a top of $289 to be $40/head softer. Lambs back to the paddock made from $29 to $158 and $148 to 209/head to feed on. Light trade lambs under 18kg to suit MK orders sold from $104 to 158/head, averaging 790c to 820c/kg cwt. Trade lambs 18 to 22kg sold from $146 to $194/head, 22 to 26kg sold $183 to $240/head, to average 820c to 890c/kg cwt. Heavy export lambs over 26kg made from $230 to $281/head, to average of 860c to 875c/kg cwt.

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Merino lambs made from $32 to $140/head. Hoggets from $78 to $137 for the Merino’s and $89 to $180/head for the crossbreds. A line of young Merino ewes and wethers made from $125 to $148/head.

Mutton numbers dropped to 11,373 penned, quality ranged from plain to very good. The usual buyers were active in a market that opened dearer and remained strong throughout the yarding. Merino wethers made from $70 to $126 for the lighter weights and over 24kg sold from $124 to $154, gaining $15/head and more in places, to average 470c to 530c/kg cwt. Light weight Merino ewes made from $40 to $128, selling firm to $8 dearer and the heavier weights sold from $117 to $166, to be $15 to $20/head stronger in places with an average range of 390c to 500c/kg cwt. Heavy crossbred mutton made from $114 to $165 gaining $15 and the lighter weights made from $27 to $123, selling to $5/head either side of firm to average 320c to 475c/kg cwt.

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