Another cheaper Lamb market at Bendigo

List your commercial Sheep, Cattle, Rams or Bulls on our Farm Tender Livestock Exchange. Starting at 1.5% commission if you sell. Reach between 5000 - 8,000 potential customers per day.

Yarding - 16,500

Less lambs but another drop in buying activity resulted in another cheaper market. Most lamb sales were $10 to $20/head cheaper, with all weights and grades affected. Some key export and domestic processors were again absent, while other buyers were only willing to participate at a lower price point. Feedback from buyers was most companies had a build-up of lambs around them heading into the Easter break, with abattoir staffing and kill capacity still an issue. Lamb quality was reasonable, with a lead run off grain before finish became more varied for stock off pasture and stubbles. The most animated bidding was for a few pens of lightweight spit lambs needed for the Greek Easter trade.

The heaviest export lambs over 30kg cwt from $209 to a top of $260, the main run of fat score 4 crossbreds averaging $232/head at an estimated 680c/kg cwt. Bidding remained erratic over the heavy 26-30kg cwt lambs which ranged from $174 to $220/head, a mixed run costing buyers around 715c/kg cwt. The neatest trade lambs $170 to $190/head at a cost of 750c/kg cwt. However there was plenty of sales of plainer trade lambs from $145 to $175/head, ranging from 680c to 730c/kg cwt. Store lambs were all cheaper, local agents paying up to $178 for trade types to feed on, smaller lambs mostly $100 to $140/head. Merino lambs in higher value skins were working out below 600c/kg cwt, one heavy export pen at $209 with light trade and MK types mostly $100 to $130/head.

Just 4000 sheep yarded and bidding was very erratic. The heaviest ewes remained in a similar price band to last week at $180 to $220/head. Trade and light sheep were cheaper at $100 to $135 for the better framed and covered types; secondary ewes down to $16/head.

Note: Due to public holidays for Easter and Anzac Day the next Bendigo market won't be held until Monday, May 2.

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