All categories up by some margin at Bendigo

Yarding - 16,000

Today’s sale at Bendigo saw higher prices across all categories, making it one of the best overall markets in recent memory, with consistent buyer demand throughout. New season lambs sold for up to $378 per head, export shorn lambs reached $420, Merino lambs went for $284, hoggets sold for $306, and heavy ewes were priced at $280 per head on two occasions. A total of just over 13,000 lambs and 9,000 sheep were yarded, which is an increase of 6,000 compared to last week. The quality of the yarding improved, particularly among the old shorn lambs, which had better quality lines sourced from grain-fed stock rather than clean-up lots.

This increase in quality contributed to the higher prices, but it seemed that the main market driver was processors facing a shortage of stock following last week’s rainfall. Young lambs were $10 to $30 per head dearer, bringing prices back to rates of over 1,200 cents per kilogram for the best pens, with some estimates even reaching as high as 1,300 cents per kilogram cwt. The leading heavy young lambs reached prices of $302 to a top of $378 per head, while good trades ranged from $254 to $320 per head. There was strong demand for store lambs, as processors competed with store buyers for the main lines of young crossbreds. Interest from specialised Ballarat finishers was evident, and some pens of trade-framed lambs returned to the paddock at prices of up to $267 per head. Main lines of more genuinely sized store lambs were priced

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Some old-season lambs were $30 to $50 per head higher due to improved quality, with fed lambs in short skins returning to 1,100 to 1,200 cents per kilogram cwt. Merino lambs also performed well, with the heaviest old-season export lambs ranging from $350 to $420 per head and the leading heavy trades priced at $314 to $340 per head. Mixed and decent light lambs sold for $150 to $240 per head, with the smallest Merino lambs going for as low as $80 per head.

The mutton market increased by $10 to $20 per head, with all categories, except for the heaviest ewes, trending between 700 and 800 cents per kilogram cwt. The main lines of quality shorn Merino averaged above 750 cents per kilogram cwt. Exceptional heavy meat ewes reached $280 per head, while Merino ewes in wool also sold for up to $280 per head. Most heavy sheep were priced between $220 and $275 per head, followed by leaner trades at $165 to $220 per head. There were not many light sheep in this yarding, as most ewes were now presented with more condition, resulting in strong sales for light sheep ranging from $115 to $153 per head.

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