Weaker demand for Lambs at Bendigo
- By: "Farm Tender" News
- Ag Tech News
- May 04, 2020
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Yarding - 17,000 (+6000).
Lambs - 15,000 (+7000).
Sheep - 2000 (-1000).
Bigger yarding of 15,000 lambs or nearly double the supply of week ago despite the widespread rain. However, sheep numbers did fall away to just 2,000 head. After a reasonable opening, the lamb market lost momentum, and all weights and grades were quoted as $10 to $15/headcheaper by selling agents in a very erratic auction. The Victorian abattoir at the centre of a Covid-19 cluster was absent, but all the other regular buyers attended but showed weaker demand. Holding their value, the best were the pick of the neat domestic lambs around 21-24kgcwt, while secondary lambs lacking finish or in rough skins met selective bidding. There was a good percentage of Merino lambs in the offering and while the lead pens showing finish and fat cover were reasonably supported, lighter weight types under 20kg cwt recorded significant price corrections compared to recent weeks.
There wasn't a lot of heavy export lambs on offer, the best selling from $240 to $260/head. The bulk of the crossbred lambs were in a weight range of 21kg to 27kg cwt and varied from $180 to $220/head. There was a wide carcass price spread of 730c to 830c/kg quoted for crossbred lambs, which could be tightened up to from 750c to 810c/kg cwt over the majority of sales. The major domestic buyers were able to reduce their overall buy-in cost below $200/head this week. Heavy Merino lambs sold to $228, with most pens of lighter weight types from$117 to $160/head. The return of a feedlot order from Swan Hill helped support the limited number of store lambs at $135 to $160/head for the better lines.
It was a small yarding of mutton which made accurate quotes difficult as the impressive lines of Merino wethers and ewes that have been coming into Bendigo weren't available this week. The meatworks closed due to Coronavirus had been a dominant buyer of heavy sheep in recent weeks against another exporter, and its absence did impact heavy ewe prices which were significantly cheaper in places. Trade and light sheep were less affected. Big crossbred ewes sold to $205/head.
https://www.bendigo.vic.gov.au/Services/Bendigo-Livestock-Exchange
https://www.bendigo.vic.gov.au/Services/Bendigo-Livestock-Exchange
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