Very good signs at Bendigo

Yarding - 34,630

Dearer market across all the main grades of stock today. Price rises of $10 to $15/head were recorded for most lamb and mutton categories, some grades improving $20/head compared to a week ago. Demand was the driver, with processors all appearing keener for numbers, led by a northern based export company which was much more active this week on lambs and sheep that displayed some weight. On the supply side, lamb numbers did show a modest drop down to 24,430 head to be back 5000, while sheep numbers were fairly stable at 10,200 head. And trade mutton was arguably the highlight of the sale with prices averaging close to 400c/kg cwt to show considerable improvement on recent markets.

Once again there wasn’t a lot of weight or freshness available in the young lamb run. The heaviest pens, 26-30kg cwt, from $218 to a top of $275/head to average $242 at a ballpark cost to processors of 850c/kg cwt. Heavy trade lambs $198 to $225/head to push back over an average of 800c/kg cwt. The most numbers were in the 22-24kg cwt weight category and these young lambs varied from $164 to $227/head, the sale loosing a little momentum late in the auction.

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On a carcass bases these mixed trade lambs showed a wide spread, the best pens well into the 800c/kg cost range for an overall result of around 785c/kg cwt. Store lamb values followed the market up, and restockers did put a fair bit of pressure on processors wanting MK kill stock. Store lambs with a bit of frame, 18-20kg cwt, from $131 to $155 /head to gain $11 on a week ago. Store lambs in the 16-18kg cwt range $118 to $152/head, gaining $20 plus with the rise helped by some big one-mark crossbred lines which sold very strongly. Smaller store lambs $65 to $123, lifting by $14/head to carry the average over $100/head again.

Competition for sheep was at much stronger levels, particularly for neat trade and light lines and the market got dearer as it went. Trade Merino ewes $71 to $110/head to average close to 400c/kg cwt. Some pens of young Merino wethers sold to $132 and went over 400c/kg cwt. Bigger crossbred ewes $104 to $120/head with not as many available this week.

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