Mostly a softer market at Bendigo

Yarding - 27,190

Lamb numbers remained similar to a week ago at 15,740 head, while sheep supply nearly doubled to 11,450. It was a softer lamb market again for all but the very best heavy export and trade lambs which retained their value on last Monday’s weaker levels.

The feedback from buyers was they had a lot of lamb numbers in the supply chain, which meant they were under less pressure to secure numbers from the auction system. The very best heavy export lambs over 30kg cwt and any neat and shapely trade lambs held their value the best at an estimated 800c to 860c/kg cwt. But there was a lot of processing lambs which sold under the 800c/kg threshold, particularly for anything under 24kg cwt. The sheep market took a $20 to $30/head price hit as it lost a lot of the gains of a week ago amid higher numbers.

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A few pens of heavy extra heavy export lambs around 30-34kg cwt sold from $245 to a top of $277/head, while the very neatest supermarket style shorn lambs reached $220. The estimated cost of the better quality processing lambs was 800c to 860c/kg cwt. But underneath was the general run of lambs which trended between 750c to 800c/kg cwt, particularly for lambs which weighed less than 24kg cwt. Lighter processing lambs and stores were generally in the 700c to 750c/kg cost range. In dollar per head the heavy 26-30kg cwt shorn lambs sold from $205 to $250 to average a ballpark $226/head; heavy trades 24-26kg cwt $194 to $220 to average $205; main run of 22-24kg cwt lambs $160 to $210; and the 20-22kg $160 to $168/head. Store lamb prices were weaker at $115 to $130 for the main run of 16-18kg cwt types back to the paddock. Feeders did pay to $160 for lean tradeweight lambs with frame.

The sheep market was considerably cheaper than a week ago, with the exception of a handful of pens of stand-out big Merino ewes in skins which sold to $177/head. The heaviest crossbred ewes sold to $131. The majority of sheep sold between $60 and $120/head as rates slid below 400c/kg cwt over most of the yarding.

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