Two speed market at Bendigo

Yarding - 39,800

Lamb numbers jumped back up to 27,300 head, up nearly 10,000 on a week ago. There was an excellent lead of heavy fed export lambs while neat trade types remained limited, and the bulk of the yarding was mixed trade and light weight lambs in various condition and skin lengths. It was a two speed market with the best presented export, trade and light lambs dearer to hold averages above 700c/kg cwt in a stronger result. Some select pens of tradeweight lambs were estimated as high as 780c/kg cwt. But buyers still didn’t chase the plainer and untidy lambs, particularly those in long woolly skins, and these lambs continued to bounce around between 620c to 680c/kg cwt.

There was a lot of weight in the lead pens of export lambs, the tops estimated at 37-40kg cwt and selling to $277/head. The neater export lambs in the 30-34kg cwt bracket from $210 to $250 with the majority trending over 700c/kg cwt. There was some bidding hot spots for heavy lambs as trade buyers stepped-in the best 26-28kg cwt crossbreds, paying over $200/head at times. The price range for 26-30kg cwt lambs was $182 to $215 with the main fat score 4 run averaging 700c/kg cwt. Bidding for trade lambs showed a lot of variance. Buyers went with auctioneers asking prices on the best pens of shapely shorn lambs paying from $50 to $185/head. But once onto mixed trades that were plainer for breeding and presentation the rate was mostly $130 to $165 and there was still a lot of lambs under 680c/kg cwt. Light lamb competition was strong on feeder, restocker and processor support. One processor wanted a load of light lambs out early which intensified demand at the start of the sale. The best MK style lambs in the 12-16kg cwt range sold from $85 to $120 and were estimated as costing over 700c/kg cwt. Store buyers mostly $60 to $125 for small lambs, and up to $157 for trade framed lambs to feed on.

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The sheep run had a lead of heavy crossbred ewes followed by a lot of lighter conditioned Merinos in various skins. One northern exporter dominated heavy mutton and paid from $91 to $115 for most big ewes regardless of weight, with just a few pens higher to a top of $123/head. The lighter sheep weren’t that far behind in dollar per head terms at $50 to $85, but failing below $30 for really secondary types in score 1 condition. Good runs of mutton were estimated as costing processors from 300c to 360c/kg cwt.

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