Scratch your head day at Bendigo

Yarding - 27,885

Lamb supply lifted to 19,285 to be up nearly 8000 head as Bendigo came off a public holiday and skipped market last week. Quality ranged from a lead of very good grainfed lambs down to the usual mixed quality trades and light stock. The issue today was with buyer demand and participation. The market opened $5 to $10 weaker before there was a dramatic drop-off in value mid-way through the auction for heavy lambs, with the biggest export weights the most affected. At times there was export lambs which were $30 to $40/head cheaper than a week ago, with some buyers not operating and others only interested in purchasing at reduced rates.

It opened up a big carcass price spread across the sale, with heavy lambs selling from an estimated 680c to 820c/kg cwt. Trade lambs were also cheaper but this section tended to have more stability and reasonable support on the better presented pens. Light MK style processing lambs held their value the best.

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Heavy export lambs over 30kg cwt sold from $219 to a top of $275/head at an estimated cost of 740c/kg. The heavy 26-30kg cwt crossbred lambs $190 to $236/head to show a fall of $20, and again a wide price costing of 680c to 820c due to how the market played out. The general run of trade lambs from 21-24kg cwt mostly $155 to $190/head at a shandied cost to processors of 750c/kg cwt. The main run of 22-24kg cwt lambs averaged $176 to show a decline of $13/head compared to a week ago. Light MK processing lambs eased a few dollars but were the category of stock to hold their value the best at $115 to $158/head for quality types showing some shape and fat cover. Small and secondary lambs $17 to $80/head.

Heavy mutton was limited in the run of 8600 sheep, and prices did improve for the lead lines of crossbreds and Merinos. Big crossbred ewes $130 to a top of $176/head. Good Merinos ewes with size and wool $110 to $152/head. Plainer sheep mostly $60 to $90/head, and it should be noted that support for any very light conditioned ewes in fat score 1 was subdued at times at $15 to $35/head. The best quality mutton was estimated at 400c to 480c/kg cwt.

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