Mostly dearer at Bendigo

Yarding - 31,830

More numbers in the countdown to the Christmas break, with just one more sale left at Bendigo for this year. There was 20,300 lambs yarded and 11,500 sheep to be up nearly 10,000 head on a week ago. Aside from the very lead pens of lambs, quality was plainer across the yarding and stock with weight and fat cover were again limited.

Price trends were firm to dearer for the best shorn lambs and the pick of the unshorn lambs which were still fresh and had weight. The general run of trade lambs in the 20-24kg cwt range had varied results depending on quality and presentation and the market was generally softer by $5/head. Light and restocking lambs also posted mixed results, the smaller types to the paddock dearer as dollar per head buying dominated but the larger framed types were just firm to easier.

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Quality was a component in some of the erratic trends. Well presented shorn lambs received the best processor support and the lead run in the 26-30kg cwt range sold strongly at $225 to a top of $297 to average a ballpark 955c/kg cwt. The heavy shorn trades, 24-26kg cwt, from $208 to $242 to average an estimated 900c/kg cwt. But it is worth noting the market did show quite a wide price spread in carcass price terms, particularly in the young unshorn lambs. An average run of woolly trade lambs showed variance of 750c to just over 900c/kg. The main run of 22-24kg young lambs sold from $178 to $215 to average $192/head. The heaviest woolly lambs in the 26-30kg weight bracket sold from $220 to $260, at a cost from 800c to 900c/kg for a ballpark result of 860c/kg cwt. Store lambs with frame size $137 to $155/head, while the smaller lambs to the paddock at 12-16kg cwt were dearer at $78 to $126/head. Some very light and immature lambs $5 to $60/head.

The sheep market showed a consistently dearer trend, good lines of mutton costing processors an estimated 400c to 430c/kg cwt with some young Merino wethers into the mid 450c/kg range. Not many extra heavy ewes with weight and hard fat cover are now coming through, and the biggest crossbreds sold to $135/head. Merino wethers with size and skin value topped at $156/head. Most heavy sheep $90 to $125/head, with the lead trade and light sheep not far behind at $75 to $115/head. Lightest ewes $60 to $70/head.

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