Rain spurs price rises at Wagga Wagga

Yarding - 42,000 (+9600).
Lambs - 35,500 (+12,000).
Sheep - 5500 (-2400)

Elevated rain gauges and higher prices at all major sales this week inspired producers to offload bigger numbers of trade and heavy lambs. Trade weight lambs 21 to 24kg were well supplied and quality was fair to very good. Heavy lamb classes presented with plenty of finish, most grain assisted. A full field of buyers were in attendance and all were operating, however one major domestic processor was particularly cautious preferring to purchase shorter skin lambs showing plenty of shape and finish. Local restockers were operating having received 90mm of rain in the past few days.

In the trade market, major domestic processors dominated across all the well finished shorter skin lambs. Lambs weighing 22 to 24kg sold $11 dearer to average 851c/kg cwt. Merino trade lambs sold to a small group of buyers and all categories sold to stronger price trends, with some pens grain assisted. Merino trade lambs averaged 783c to 788c/kg cwt. Young lambs returning to the paddock and to feed on, with weight and frame, sold from $158 to $202/head.

There was a big field of export buyers in attendance however not all were operating fully at any one time. Heavy and extra lambs sold to erratic demand with prices varying greatly as the sale progressed. Heavy lambs 24 to 26kg gained $6/head averaging 828c/kg cwt. Lambs 26to 30kg met patchy demand to average 805c/kg cwt. Extra heavy lambs over 30kg carcase weight sold $4 dearer recording a top price of$290/head to average 738c/kg cwt.

It was a very mixed quality yarding of mutton, with heavy sheep in reasonable supply. Heavy ewes sold to notably stronger demand with a northern processor purchasing the bulk of the offering. Heavy crossbred ewes gained $23/head to average 684c/kg cwt. A single pen of heavy crossbred ewes recorded a top price of $270/head. Heavy wethers sold from $184 to $220/head averaging 725c/kg cwt. Trade sheep were keenly sought lifting $4/head to average 672c/kg cwt.

https://wagga.nsw.gov.au/business-investment/council-businesses/livestock-marketing-centre

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